Boxwood
/ˈbɒks.wʊd/noun
A dense evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus Buxus, valued for its hard wood and clipped hedges.
Did you know?Boxwood comes from Latin *buxus*, the same root behind *buxom* in its older sense of “plump” or “full,” not its modern meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
pýxos (πύξος)
“The box tree or boxwood shrub.”
Latin
Latin
buxus
“Boxwood; also the wood itself.”
Late Latin
Latin
buxeus
“Made of boxwood.”
Old English
English
box
“Boxwood; a box tree.”
Middle English
English
boxwode
“Boxwood, the wood of the box tree.”
Modern English
English
boxwood
“The box tree or its hard, fine-grained wood.”