Meanings
plural poor boxes
- A locked box with a slot for depositing coins, usually placed in churches to accept donations for the needy.
Near-synonym: collection box
1 more example
It is a strange fact, but it is unquestionably true that almost any English intellectual would feel more ashamed of standing to attention during “God save the King” than of stealing from a poor box.
1941, George Orwell, The Lion and the UnicornSynonyms: collection box
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA locked box with a slot for depositing coins, usually placed in churches to accept donations for the needy.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Catalan caixeta, caixonet d'almoines
- caixetabox for donations for the needy
- caixonet d'almoinesbox for donations for the needy
Esperanto almozkesto, almozkolektujo
- almozkestobox for donations for the needy
- almozkolektujobox for donations for the needy
French tronc
- troncbox for donations for the needy
German Almosenbüchse, Opferbüchse
- Almosenbüchsebox for donations for the needy
- Opferbüchsebox for donations for the needy
Polish skarbonka na datki dla ubogich
- skarbonka na datki dla ubogichbox for donations for the needy
Spanish cepillo
- cepillobox for donations for the needy
Turkish bağış kutusu, sadaka kutusu
- bağış kutusubox for donations for the needy
- sadaka kutusubox for donations for the needy
- yardım kutusubox for donations for the needy
Cite this entry
poor box. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poor%20box
“poor box.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poor%20box. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “poor box,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poor%20box.
Source: poor box on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.