Jump To:

• shadow box
  shadow box

  noun

  a shallow, rectangular frame fronted with a glass panel, used to show and at the same time protect items on display, as paintings, coins, or jewelry.
• shadow-box
  shadow-box

  verb

  boxing to practise blows and footwork against an imaginary opponent

shadow box

American  

noun

1. a shallow, rectangular frame fronted with a glass panel, used to show and at the same time protect items on display, as paintings, coins, or jewelry.

---

shadow-box British  

verb

1. boxing to practise blows and footwork against an imaginary opponent

2. to act or speak unconvincingly, without saying what one means, etc

   he's just shadow-boxing

---

Other Word Forms

• shadow-boxing
  noun

Etymology

Origin of shadow box

First recorded in 1905–10