puzzle box

Definitions

1. 1

   A box that cannot be opened by the usual obvious means, and therefore challenges a person…

   A box that cannot be opened by the usual obvious means, and therefore challenges a person to find the correct way to open it.

   • "Jest like the Injian puzzle-boxes, ain't they?" said Dan, as the one boat dropped into the other.
2. 2

   A similar device or cage that can be opened by means of levers, latches, etc., used to…

   A similar device or cage that can be opened by means of levers, latches, etc., used to test the learning behaviour of animals.

   • That’s where Osvath’s ravens come in. His student Can Kabadayi trained the birds to open a baited puzzle box by putting a stone of particular weight and shape into a tube.
3. 3

   Something that is puzzling

   Something that is puzzling; an enigma; (narratology, also attributive) a complex story that is gradually revealed, often driven by a central myth.

   • puzzle box show
   • puzzle-box plot
4. ›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer

   1. 4

      A box containing a jigsaw puzzle.

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