sandbox

[sand-boks]

noun

1. a box or receptacle for holding sand, especially one large enough for children to play in.

2. Computers.,  an environment in which software developers or editors can create and test new content, separate from other content in the project (often used attributively).

   sandbox web design;

   New features are tested and critiqued in the demo sandbox.

adjective

1. Digital Technology.,  noting or relating to a genre of video game with a nonlinear structure that allows players to roam freely.

sandbox

/ ˈsændˌbɒks /

noun

1. a container on a railway locomotive from which sand is released onto the rails to assist the traction

2. a box with sand shaped for moulding metal

3. a container of sand for small children to play in

4. computing a protected environment in which an untrusted program may be run without affecting other parts of the system

Word History and Origins

Origin of sandbox¹

First recorded in 1565–75; sand + box ¹

Example Sentences

The fact that the president’s approval rating has been on the decline as he’s increasingly become a petulant sandbox bully isn’t actually incongruous.

Read more on Salon

What’s undeniable, though, is that her extraordinary artist’s eye and soulful nature emerged at an age when the rest of us were still content to simply play in our sandboxes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Smart leaders should create “AI sandbox” time where all employees can test tools without fear of making mistakes, and establish cross-training programs that pair average performers with early adopters.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Cash went from the folk-rock scene back to country, a smaller sandbox.

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Outside are nature trails, a “cretaceous” garden and a playground with a pterosaur-themed structure and a sandbox concealing replica dinosaur bones.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal