box office

¹ American  

noun

1. the office of a theater, stadium, or the like, at which tickets are sold.

2. Theater.

   1. receipts from a play or other entertainment.

   2. entertainment popular enough to attract paying audiences and make a profit.

      This show will be good box office.

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box-office ² American  

[boks-aw-fis, -of-is] / ˈbɒksˌɔ fɪs, -ˌɒf ɪs /

adjective

1. of or relating to the box office or to the business and commercial aspects of the theater.

   a box-office window; box-office receipts; a box-office attraction.

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box office British  

noun

1. an office at a theatre, cinema, etc, where tickets are sold

2. the receipts from a play, film, etc

3. 1. the public appeal of an actor or production

      the musical was bad box office

   2. ( as modifier )

      a box-office success

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box office Idioms  

1. The office where seats for a play, concert, or other form of entertainment may be purchased, as in Tickets are available at the box office . It is so called because originally (17th century) it was the place for hiring a box, a special compartment of theater seats set aside for ladies. [Second half of 1700s]

2. The financial receipts from a performance; also, a show's relative success in attracting a paying audience. For example, You may not consider it great art, but this play is good box office . [c. 1900]

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Etymology

Origin of box office¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Origin of box-office¹

First recorded in 1805–15; adj. use of box office

Example Sentences

It’s a crucial season for Hollywood studios, which are trying to reach a $9 billion domestic box office threshold.

From Barron's

“Zootopia 2” roared to life at the box office, dominating Thanksgiving weekend domestically and showing the right Hollywood movie can still make big money in China.

From The Wall Street Journal

Though the overall box office has been uneven this year, films geared toward children and families have largely performed.

From Los Angeles Times

At the same time, China’s homegrown film industry has matured, leading to more locally-produced movies at the box office.

From Los Angeles Times

After a sleepy October, the box office was dominated this weekend by a highly-anticipated sequel, “Wicked: For Good,” with $150 million in domestic ticket sales.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gate