noun
shoebox
noun
1
The cardboard box a pair of shoes is sold in.
"She kept old photos in a shoebox under the bed."
2
A very small, cramped living space.
"Their first flat in the city was a total shoebox."
How to Use Shoebox
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiterally the box shoes come in, or figuratively any tiny room or apartment.
When to use it
"Shoebox" for a flat is informal and slightly complaining in tone.
Word Forms
shoeboxes plural
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She kept old photos in a _____ under the bed.
Etymology
From shoe + box.