pillarbox

[pil-er-boks]

noun

1. a technique for displaying a video recorded in portrait orientation on a wider screen by reducing its size but retaining the aspect ratio, with black bands filling the screen to the right and left of the picture (often used attributively).

   pillarbox format.

verb (used with object)

1. to display (a film or video) by using the pillarbox technique.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pillarbox¹

2000–05; pillar ( def. ) + box ¹ ( def. ), perhaps referencing the two black bands (or pillars) used to box in the video content

Example Sentences

And on high-def TVs, watching old shows requires big, black “pillarbox” bars on either side of the square picture.

Read more on Scientific American

You've surely seen it: broadcasters gamely try to fill the empty pillarbox areas with blurry copies of the main video.

Read more on Scientific American

The high waistbands and tissue-layered drapes of their dresses are straight from the classical goddess playbook, but the colours – pillarbox red, sunshine yellow, black – are from a colouring book.

Read more on The Guardian

If you prefer to stash a phone in a pocket rather than a handbag or manbag, this could well be too big.The choice of colours mostly isn't understated, either: the review handset was pillarbox red; other options are a sort of fluorescent custard yellow, or white or the more sober grey or black options.

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With a beating heart she went out to post the letter herself, and as it dropped into the pillarbox, she prayed softly to "God."

Read more on Project Gutenberg