safe-deposit box
30
3.7
- noun
- /ˈseɪf dɪˈpɒzɪt bɒks/
:
caja de seguridad
- I need to visit the bank to access my safe-deposit box where I keep important documents.
- a safe-deposit box at the bank
- a safe-deposit box key
- rent a safe-deposit box
So they run up in their fucking search the place, find some keys to some safe deposit boxes, find a bunch of cash right there.
- So they run up in their fucking search the place, find some keys to some safe deposit boxes, find a bunch of cash right there.
Examples
-
The letters are in my safe-deposit box.
Fiction book (1990) -
I have that letter in my safe deposit box.
Blog text (17) -
My mother kept her jewelry collection in a safe deposit box.
Fiction book (1999) -
I'd like to see about renting a safe deposit box.
-
The same day he bought the car, he also rented a safe-deposit box.
-
You could also place your flash drive with the passwords stored on it in a safe deposit box.
Blog text (28) -
It's all stowed away in a safe-deposit box at the Royal Bank in Geneva.
-
INT. VEGAS BANK VAULT - MORNING: A bank employee is helping GINGER unlock a safe deposit box.
Fiction book (1995) -
She stores her valuable jewelry in a safe-deposit box to keep it secure.
-
For added protection, I have placed my will in a safe-deposit box at my local bank.
Synonyms
70
2.8
A secure metal box in a bank where people keep valuables
35
4.6
A locked metal box in a bank where people keep valuable things or documents
29
4.0
A fireproof metal box at a bank for keeping valuable things like documents or jewelry
24
3.4
A secure metal box in a bank for keeping valuable things
20
1.0
A strong metal box that keeps money, documents, and valuables from theft or fire
14
5.8
A strong metal box that is often kept at a bank to hold valuable things safely
11
3.0
A small locked box in a public place for keeping personal things
5
5.5
A heavy box with a lock for keeping money or other valuable things safe
A strong box that locks for keeping important papers and small valuables
How Secure
Surface Forms
Morphology
safe-deposit + box
The meaning is directly and transparently built from the parts: 'safe' (secure) + 'deposit' (to place or leave valuables) + 'box' (a container), yielding a secure container for deposited valuables. This is a straightforward noun–noun compound common in banking contexts and cross-linguistically similar, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
The noun safe-deposit box comes from the simple image of a strong safe, a small metal box, that you deposit your valuables into at a bank to keep them safe. So, the phrase now means a secure bank box for important papers or jewelry.