boxcar

American  

[boks-kahr] / ˈbɒksˌkɑr /

noun

1. Railroads. a completely enclosed freight car.

2. boxcars, a pair of sixes on the first throw of the dice in the game of craps.

---

adjective

1. Informal. extremely or disproportionately large.

   The business had boxcar profits during its first year.

boxcar British  

/ ˈbɒksˌkɑː /

noun

1. a closed railway freight van

---

Etymology

Origin of boxcar

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60; box ¹ + car ¹

Example Sentences

He noticed how people went to the railyard in December and bought Christmas trees off boxcars, so fresh they still had ice clinging to their branches.

From Los Angeles Times

But I remember being in a boxcar with four men and all four were pretty much like everyone else.

From Los Angeles Times

After a short walk through the woods they spotted boxcars.

From Seattle Times

On a hotel rooftop in Hollywood, facing the glitterati tucked into the hills, Sierra Ferrell explained how to pack for a clandestine ride in a boxcar.

From Los Angeles Times

By summer, all but two families had departed their flooded homes and were living in boxcars or makeshift houses above the rising waterline.

From Seattle Times