boxer
noun
a person who fights as a sport, usually with gloved fists, according to set rules; prize-fighter; pugilist.
boxer
1 American
[bok-ser]
/ ˈbɒk sər /
noun
-
boxers
plural
-
a person who fights as a sport, usually with gloved fists, according to set rules; prize-fighter; pugilist.
-
one of a German breed of medium-sized, stocky, short-haired, pug-faced dogs having a brindled or tan coat with white markings.
-
a person or thing that packs items into boxes.
-
boxers. boxer shorts.
Boxer
2
American
[bok-ser]
/ ˈbɒk sər /
noun
Boxer
1
British
/ ˈbɒksə /
noun
boxer
2
British
/ ˈbɒksə /
noun
-
a person who boxes, either professionally or as a hobby; pugilist
-
a medium-sized smooth-haired breed of dog with a short nose and a docked tail
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of boxer1
First recorded in 1735–45; box 2 + -er 1
Origin of Boxer2
First recorded in 1895–1900; translation of Chinese yìhé juǎn “Righteous Harmony Fist,” name of the militant policy of the yìhé tuán “Righteous Harmony Group”
Explanation
Someone taking part in a sport in which two people punch each other with big padded gloves is a boxer. If you want to be a boxer, you'll need to build your arm strength and practice fast-moving footwork. If you spend time training at a boxing gym, sparring in the ring with partners who dance around throwing jabs in your direction, you can call yourself a boxer. If your job involves putting things into cardboard boxes, you're another kind of boxer. A third meaning of this word is a smooth-coated, serious-faced breed of dog that's named for its habit of standing up and "boxing" with its paws when it plays with other dogs.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Japanese fighter Naoya Inoue said Tete was a "wonderful boxer".
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Panettiere and the boxer were in an on-and-off relationship from 2009 to 2018 and were engaged in 2013.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
He’ll respond like an underdog boxer delivering a knockout punch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Ahmadzai, who is said to have been a champion boxer, looked small as he walked swiftly past us with his head was permanently bowed.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Muhammad Ali was a boxer and a poet.
From "Bronx Masquerade" by Nikki Grimes
He also offered further details on a major contract with the German military to supply a fleet of Boxer armoured vehicles, which remains under negotiation with the defence ministry in Berlin.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
Boxer Anthony Joshua is placed at eighth with a fortune of £240 million, one place above his heavyweight rival Tyson Fury, who is ninth on £162 million.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. has filed a $340-million lawsuit against Showtime and a former executive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026
Boxer Fabio Wardley posted "don't worry I'll keep it safe" with a video of the toupee on the seat beside him, while Skye Nicolson, external also posed with it on her head.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026
Sometimes the long hours on insufficient food were hard to bear, but Boxer never faltered.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
Closer to home, she credits senior Indian boxers Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani, not just for their medals but for the encouragement they offer younger athletes.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The 26th president, Teddy Roosevelt, regularly invited professional boxers, military aides and guests to the executive mansion to spar, at least until he suffered a detached retina.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
He represents some of the world’s top boxers through Mayweather Promotions and owns roughly 75 gyms around the country along with real estate holdings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
His previous opponents were largely made up of boxers well past their prime or former mixed martial artists.
From BBC ● May 12, 2026
“You got any boxers in there?” he asks.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
