puzzle box

American  

noun

Psychology.

1. an enclosure, used in experiments in animal learning, from which an animal must escape or in which it must manipulate various devices.

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Etymology

Origin of puzzle box

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

puzzle box

Squirrels should be smart enough to take the easy pickings over the puzzle box.

From Slate ● Jan. 25, 2026

Not only did immigrants see that residents were opening the puzzle box in a new way, but in some groups, the newcomers also discovered that residents scored a superior reward by doing so.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2024

It’s a testament to “The Arkham Asylum Files” that I often felt like I was constructing a story more than I was solving a puzzle box.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2023

To carry out the study, the scientists created a puzzle box that could be opened by rotating a lid to access a sugar solution.

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2023

On the morning of her twelfth birthday, there is no puzzle box in place of the sugar bowl when she wakes; her father is too busy.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr