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box cutter

American  
[boks kuht-er] / ˈbɒks ˌkʌt ər /

noun

  1. a small cutting tool consisting of a retractable razor blade in a metal or plastic holder, designed for opening cardboard cartons.


box cutter British  

noun

  1. a knife-like tool with a short retractable blade

"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

Etymology

Origin of box cutter

First recorded in 1825–30 in the sense of a person who cuts boxes; current sense dates from 1950–55

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:

Lacking additional paper, he used a box cutter to shape a piece of cardboard that he could wrap around the object.

From New York Times Aug. 11, 2022

If you're dealing with a lot of heavy brown matter, a mulcher might come in handy, but just cutting up cardboard with a box cutter works, too.

From Salon Jun. 26, 2022

Bautista recommends a box cutter as the most efficient way to open boxes.

From Washington Post Dec. 1, 2020

It also has a box cutter —- useful, considering how many of us are ordering things online these days — and a socket for a hexagonal screw bit.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 17, 2020

Mom’s holding a box cutter and leaning over one of the billion boxes piled up around the apartment.

From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks

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