Meanings
matchbox1
nounmatchbox (plural matchboxes)
plural matchboxes
- A small box, usually a small cardboard box, in which matches are kept.
matchbox2
nounmatchbox (plural matchboxes)
plural matchboxes
- Any small, die-cast toy car, usually a collectible.
Origin
matchbox · noun
By genericization from the die-cast toy car brand Matchbox owned by Mattel, so-called due to the size of the toys to fix in matchboxes.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans vuurhoutjiedosie, vuurhoutjieboksie
- vuurhoutjiedosiesmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
- vuurhoutjieboksiesmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Bulgarian кутия кибрит
- кутия кибрит (kutija kibrit)small cardboard box in which matches are kept
Chinese Mandarin 火柴盒
- 火柴盒 (huǒcháihé)small cardboard box in which matches are kept
Danish tændstikæske
- tændstikæskesmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Dutch luciferdoosje, luciferdoos
- luciferdoosjesmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
- luciferdoossmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Esperanto alumetskatolo, alumetujo
- alumetskatolosmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
- alumetujosmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Estonian tikutoos
- tikutoossmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Finnish tulitikkurasia, tulitikkuaski
- tulitikkurasiasmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
- tulitikkuaskismall cardboard box in which matches are kept
French boîte d'allumettes
- boîte d'allumettessmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
German Streichholzschachtel
- Streichholzschachtelsmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Greek σπιρτόκουτο
- σπιρτόκουτο (spirtókouto)small cardboard box in which matches are kept
Hungarian gyufásdoboz, gyufásskatulya
- gyufásdobozsmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
- gyufásskatulyasmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
- gyufaskatulyasmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Irish bosca cipíní
- bosca cipínísmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Italian scatola di fiammiferi
- scatola di fiammiferismall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Japanese マッチ箱
- マッチ箱 (matchi-bako)small cardboard box in which matches are kept
Malay kotak mancis
- kotak mancissmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Māori pāki māti
- pāki mātismall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Norwegian Bokmål fyrstikkeske
- fyrstikkeskesmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Persian قوطی کبریت
- قوطی کبریت (quti kebrit)small cardboard box in which matches are kept
Polish pudełko od zapałek
- pudełko od zapałeksmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Portuguese caixa de fósforo/fósforos
- caixa de fósforo/fósforossmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Punjabi ਡੱਬੀ
- ਡੱਬੀ (ḍabbī)small cardboard box in which matches are kept
Russian спи́чечный коробо́к, спи́чечная коро́бка
- спи́чечный коробо́к (spíčečnyj korobók)small cardboard box in which matches are kept
- спи́чечная коро́бка (spíčečnaja koróbka)small cardboard box in which matches are kept
Spanish fosforera, cerillero
- fosforerasmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
- cerillerosmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
- caja de fósforossmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
- caja de cerillassmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Swedish tändsticksask
- tändsticksasksmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Tamil தீப்பெட்டி
- தீப்பெட்டி (tīppeṭṭi)small cardboard box in which matches are kept
Thai กล่องไม้ขีด
- กล่องไม้ขีดsmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Turkish kibrit kutusu
- kibrit kutususmall cardboard box in which matches are kept
Cite this entry
APA
matchbox. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matchbox
MLA
“matchbox.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matchbox. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “matchbox,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matchbox.
Source: matchbox on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.