matchbox
gb/mˈæt͡ʃbˌɑks/ us/mˈæt͡ʃbˌɑks/
A2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Small box for matches
A small box that holds matches.
Common mistake:
A matchbox is the small container for matches; a matchbook is a small folded paper cover of matches, especially in American English.
Synonyms
box (General container word; less specific than matchbox.)
|
matchbook (A folded paper holder for matches, not usually a box.)
Collocations
a box of matches
|a matchbox full of matches
|an empty matchbox
|a cardboard matchbox
|a small matchbox
|strike a match on a matchbox
|a matchbox label
Themes
daily_life
|housing
Examples
- There was an old matchbox beside the candle.
- He shook the matchbox, but there were only two matches left.
- The matchbox had a rough strip on the side for lighting matches.
Learner examples
- I found a matchbox in the drawer.
- The matchbox is empty.
- She kept a matchbox near the stove.
adjective
B2
property
2
Very small or cramped
Used to say that something is very small.
Usage pattern:
matchbox [noun]
Common mistake:
This use is usually placed before another noun: a matchbox apartment. The hyphenated form matchbox-sized is often more natural.
Synonyms
tiny (Common everyday adjective for limited size.)
|
cramped (Emphasizes lack of space and discomfort.)
|
compact (Emphasizes efficient small size.)
Collocations
a matchbox apartment
|a matchbox room
|a matchbox kitchen
|a matchbox house
|a matchbox car
Themes
daily_life
|housing
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They lived in a matchbox apartment near the station.
- The hotel gave us a matchbox room with barely enough space for our bags.
- From above, the houses looked like matchbox houses lined up in rows.
Learner examples
- We rented a matchbox flat.
- The room felt like a matchbox.
- They live in a matchbox apartment.
Grammar
Dictionary form
matchbox
IPA
GB/mˈæt͡ʃbˌɑks/
US/mˈæt͡ʃbˌɑks/
Syllables & stress
match - box (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (match)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: matchbox
- Plural: matchboxes
Expressions
matchbox car
1/mˈæt͡ʃbˌɑks kˈɑɹ/
fixed phrase
Small toy car
A small toy car.
Examples
- He still has a box of matchbox cars from his childhood.
- The child pushed a matchbox car across the floor.
- Collectors pay a lot for rare old Matchbox cars.
matchbox-sized
1/mˈæt͡ʃbˌɑks sˈaɪzd/
fixed phrase
Very small in size
Very small; about as big as a matchbox.
Examples
- The apartment had a matchbox-sized kitchen with no window.
- She carried a matchbox-sized camera in her bag.
- Their first office was a matchbox-sized room above a shop.