window box

American  

noun

1. a box for growing plants, placed at or in a window.

2. a hollow space in a window frame for a sash weight.

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window box British  

noun

1. a long narrow box, placed on or outside a windowsill, in which plants are grown

2. either of a pair of vertical boxes, attached to the sides of a sash window frame, that enclose a sash cord and counterbalancing weight

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Etymology

Origin of window box

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

I knew I’d come to the right place when I looked out the window beyond her desk and saw — a window box.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2024

Surrounded by pavement but longing for a garden, her grandfather built a window box that sat outside on a flat roof that could be accessed only through a bedroom window.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 16, 2024

So that's the third major principle, thinking about and involving yourself in the natural world in some way, even if that's just having a window box if you can't get out.

From Salon • Sep. 9, 2023

Farzana Chaudry from Watford spent "four long nights" knitting a Gareth Southgate and three lions to adorn her front window box.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2021

It's about the amount of soil you'd put in a window box, and the only seeds I have are a few species of grass and ferns.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir