poor box

American  

noun

1. a box, especially in a church, into which contributions for people in need can be dropped.

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poor box British  

noun

1. a box, esp one in a church, used for the collection of alms or money for the poor

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Etymology

Origin of poor box

First recorded in 1615–25

Example Sentences

A handful Alamo Drafthouse franchise locations recently closed in the Dallas-Forth Worth area, citing poor box office.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2024

Anyway, that's the gist of Disney's latest animated release, which, as you may have heard, had a stunningly poor box office showing across Thanksgiving weekend.

From Salon • Dec. 2, 2022

If Christmas audiences aren’t in the mood to watch a big-budget movie about Cheney, poor box office could further depress McKay’s chances.

From New York Times • Jan. 1, 2019

With the recent Fantastic Four reboot’s poor box office performance, a lot of people are wondering if superhero fatigue is setting in.

From Time • Aug. 20, 2015

Underneath his thin guayabera, I could see the muscles of his broad shoulders shifting as he reached down and gave me a wad of bills to put in the poor box as his donation.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez