beatbox

American

[beet-boks] / ˈbitˌbɒks /

Or beat-box

noun

drum machine.
Slang. boom box.

verb (used without object)

to simulate the sounds and rhythms of percussion instruments or a drum machine by using the mouth and voice.

Have you ever heard someone beatbox like that?

beatbox British

/ ˈbiːtˌbɒks /

noun

informal a drum machine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

beatboxer

noun

Etymology

Origin of beatbox

An Americanism dating back to 1975–80; beat + box ¹

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.

The rapper, whose real name is Jonathan Lyndale Kirk, released a new song, "Beatbox Freestyle," on Friday in which he allegedly slammed the teen singer/dancer/Internet personality.

From Fox News • Feb. 22, 2021

Ms. Mullady, a native of Long Island, is co-host and co-producer of the American Beatbox Championships, a national battle, in Brooklyn Nov. 8 through 10.

From New York Times • Nov. 7, 2019

The nonprofit Beatbox DC supports artists and community festivals.

From Washington Post • Oct. 18, 2016

Beatbox musician Bigg Taj works with young people in the area.

From BBC • Aug. 24, 2016

Yes, 8Bit Beatbox takes its inspiration firmly from retro videogames – not that they were retro at the time, of course.

From The Guardian • Sep. 28, 2012

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023