signal box
1
6.7
- noun
- /ˈsɪɡnəl bɒks/
- UK
:
caja de señales
- The old signal box at the station was closed when the lines were automated.
Examples
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The operator in the signal box coordinated several trains passing through the junction.
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A restored signal box is now a small museum open to visitors.
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The signal box controls train movements.
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She works in a signal box every day.
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The engineer stood in the signal box to manage the railway traffic.
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From the signal box, the operator could see all the train movements on the tracks.
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The signal box controlled the switch points to ensure the trains went to the correct destinations.
Synonyms
A building where people send signals to control trains
How Complex
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a building housing equipment to control railway signals' is directly compositional from 'signal' (equipment or indication for trains) and 'box' (an enclosure or housing). The N + box pattern commonly denotes a housing or control unit in English and many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer this sense.
Etymology
Signal box is a railway name for a small building where a person watched the tracks and moved levers to change the signals and the train route, and box simply means the little building. So, because someone in that box 'directed' the signals and trains, signal box now means the place from which trains are controlled.