lockbox

/ˈlɒkbɒks/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlɑːkbɑːks/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈläk-ˌbäks/ (ame, mw)

lockbox — noun

  • lockboxsingular
  • lockboxesplural

1. a small container with a numbered keypad or set of dials that you open by enteri

1.名詞B1
釋義

a small container with a numbered keypad or set of dials that you open by entering a secret code, used to keep house keys or other keys secure so that other people can reach them without you being there.

例句

Dariush installed a lockbox near the front door so the cleaner could get the key.

Without a lockbox, the house would have no safe place for spare keys.

同義詞
  • key safe

    British English term for the same device

  • key box

    simpler container that may not have a combination lock

文法句型

a/the + lockbox

lockbox code/combo

常見錯誤

❌I forgot the password of the lockbox.
✅I forgot the lockbox code.
💡Lockboxes use numeric codes, not alphanumeric passwords.

2. a strong container with a lock that you close and fasten with a key or combinati

2.名詞B1
釋義

a strong container with a lock that you close and fasten with a key or combination, used to hold money, important papers, jewellery, or other valuable items so that only the owner can reach them.

例句

Matteo keeps his passport and birth certificate in a small lockbox under his bed.

collocation: keep [valuables] in a lockbox

Nandini bought a fireproof lockbox to protect her grandmother's jewellery.

同義詞
  • strongbox

    more formal term, usually made of metal

  • safe

    larger and typically fixed; also implies fireproof or burglar-proof construction

  • cash box

    specifically for money; may not lock

文法句型

a/the + lockbox

lockbox full of + noun

in/inside a lockbox

用法筆記

Distinguish from a safe — a lockbox is typically small and portable, while a safe is larger, heavier, and often fixed in place.

常見錯誤

❌Please put the documents on the lockbox.
✅Please put the documents in the lockbox.
💡A lockbox is a container, so items go inside it, not on top of it.

3. a bank-operated system in which a firm's clients mail their payments straight to

3.名詞C1
釋義

a bank-operated system in which a firm's clients mail their payments straight to a special address at the bank, allowing the bank to deposit the money into the firm's account on the same day it arrives.

例句

Eleanor's company uses a lockbox service to handle payments from hundreds of clients.

collocation: use a lockbox service

The bank explained that the lockbox system would speed up the deposit of checks.

同義詞

文法句型

a lockbox service

set up a lockbox

use a lockbox

through the lockbox

用法筆記

Almost always used in business or banking contexts; here it refers to a financial service, not a physical container.

常見錯誤

❌I received a lockbox from the bank.
✅I signed up for a lockbox service at the bank.
💡Sense 3 refers to a banking service, not a physical box.