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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• shadow-boxing noun

Etymology

Origin of shadow box

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Collins, 73, a retired preschool teacher, creates the dioramas, making and arranging miniatures within shadow boxes made by her husband, Eddie Lewis.

From Los Angeles Times

“They were beautiful and funny and fascinating,” Saar says of Cornell’s shadow box assemblages, many of which were made of repurposed junk.

From New York Times

Around that time, current Saints tight end Foster Moreau was playing for Jesuit High School in New Orleans and had a signed No. 80 Graham Saints jersey in a shadow box in his room.

From Seattle Times

On gallery walls painted deep green, purple or gold, she has mounted 15 enormous, vibrant, unremitting square paintings, each framed in a dark shadow box produced in her studio, and even more small drawings.

From New York Times

Bill Boone of Mukilteo has a shadow box on his wall to display the Mariners’ jersey of Bret Boone — got to give props to your namesake, right? — and an inset photo of Lou Gehrig.

From Seattle Times