"brainbox" meaning in English

See brainbox in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈbɹeɪn(ˌ)bɒks/ Audio: En-au-brainbox.ogg Forms: brainboxes [plural]
Etymology: From brain + box. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|brain|box}} brain + box Head templates: {{en-noun}} brainbox (plural brainboxes)
  1. The cavity of the skull in which the brain is contained. Synonyms: braincase, brainpan, neurocranium
    Sense id: en-brainbox-en-noun-en:neurocranium Categories (other): English links with manual fragments
  2. (slang) The skull; the head. Tags: slang
    Sense id: en-brainbox-en-noun-en:the_skull_or_the_head Synonyms: brain bucket, noggin, belfry, bean, beaner, belfry, block, bonce, brainbox, brain bucket, dome, head, loaf, lolly, napper, noodle, noddle, noggin, nut, sconce, skull
  3. (slang) A very intelligent person. Tags: slang
    Sense id: en-brainbox-en-noun-en:intelligent_person Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 23 24 54 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 21 5 74 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 20 4 76 Synonyms: brain, brainiac, egghead, boffin, brain, brainiac, bright spark, egghead, geek, nerd, Poindexter, poindexter, propeller head, shrewd article, smart cookie, supernerd, whiz, brain, brain surgeon [figuratively], brainbox, brainiac, deep thinker [idiomatic], Einstein, egghead, genius, intellectual, mind, rocket scientist [figuratively], superbrain, thinker

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "brain",
        "3": "box"
      },
      "expansion": "brain + box",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From brain + box.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "brainboxes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "brainbox (plural brainboxes)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English links with manual fragments",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Holonyms: skull, cranium < head"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              121,
              130
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1985, J.D. McDonald, Australian Birds: A Popular Guide to Bird Life, Sydney: Reed Books, page 142:",
          "text": "The compromise was to use as much of the skull as possible by pushing the eyes in towards the centre, and relegating the brain box to the rear.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The cavity of the skull in which the brain is contained."
      ],
      "id": "en-brainbox-en-noun-en:neurocranium",
      "links": [
        [
          "cavity",
          "cavity"
        ],
        [
          "skull",
          "skull"
        ]
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:neurocranium"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "braincase"
        },
        {
          "word": "brainpan"
        },
        {
          "word": "neurocranium"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "The skull; the head."
      ],
      "id": "en-brainbox-en-noun-en:the_skull_or_the_head",
      "links": [
        [
          "skull",
          "skull"
        ],
        [
          "head",
          "head#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) The skull; the head."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:the skull or the head"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "brain bucket"
        },
        {
          "word": "noggin"
        },
        {
          "word": "belfry"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "bean"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "beaner"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "belfry"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "block"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "bonce"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "brainbox"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "brain bucket"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "dome"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "head"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "loaf"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "lolly"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "napper"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "noodle"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "noddle"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "noggin"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "nut"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "sconce"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "skull"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "23 24 54",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 5 74",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 4 76",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A very intelligent person."
      ],
      "id": "en-brainbox-en-noun-en:intelligent_person",
      "links": [
        [
          "intelligent",
          "intelligent"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) A very intelligent person."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:intelligent person"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "brain"
        },
        {
          "word": "brainiac"
        },
        {
          "word": "egghead"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "boffin"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "brain"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "brainiac"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "bright spark"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "egghead"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "geek"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "nerd"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "Poindexter"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "poindexter"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "propeller head"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "shrewd article"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "smart cookie"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "supernerd"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "whiz"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "brain"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "tags": [
            "figuratively"
          ],
          "word": "brain surgeon"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "brainbox"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "brainiac"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "tags": [
            "idiomatic"
          ],
          "word": "deep thinker"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "Einstein"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "egghead"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "genius"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "intellectual"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "mind"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "tags": [
            "figuratively"
          ],
          "word": "rocket scientist"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "superbrain"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "thinker"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbɹeɪn(ˌ)bɒks/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-brainbox.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/64/En-au-brainbox.ogg/En-au-brainbox.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/En-au-brainbox.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "brainbox"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "brain",
        "3": "box"
      },
      "expansion": "brain + box",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From brain + box.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "brainboxes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "brainbox (plural brainboxes)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English links with manual fragments",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Holonyms: skull, cranium < head"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              121,
              130
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1985, J.D. McDonald, Australian Birds: A Popular Guide to Bird Life, Sydney: Reed Books, page 142:",
          "text": "The compromise was to use as much of the skull as possible by pushing the eyes in towards the centre, and relegating the brain box to the rear.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The cavity of the skull in which the brain is contained."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cavity",
          "cavity"
        ],
        [
          "skull",
          "skull"
        ]
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:neurocranium"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "braincase"
        },
        {
          "word": "brainpan"
        },
        {
          "word": "neurocranium"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The skull; the head."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "skull",
          "skull"
        ],
        [
          "head",
          "head#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) The skull; the head."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:the skull or the head"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "brain bucket"
        },
        {
          "word": "noggin"
        },
        {
          "word": "belfry"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "bean"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "beaner"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "belfry"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "block"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "bonce"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "brainbox"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "brain bucket"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "dome"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "head"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "loaf"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "lolly"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "napper"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "noodle"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "noddle"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "noggin"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "nut"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "sconce"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:head",
          "word": "skull"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A very intelligent person."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "intelligent",
          "intelligent"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) A very intelligent person."
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:intelligent person"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "brain"
        },
        {
          "word": "brainiac"
        },
        {
          "word": "egghead"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "boffin"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "brain"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "brainiac"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "bright spark"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "egghead"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "geek"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "nerd"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "Poindexter"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "poindexter"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "propeller head"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "shrewd article"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "smart cookie"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "supernerd"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:intelligent person",
          "word": "whiz"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "brain"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "tags": [
            "figuratively"
          ],
          "word": "brain surgeon"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "brainbox"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "brainiac"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "tags": [
            "idiomatic"
          ],
          "word": "deep thinker"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "Einstein"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "egghead"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "genius"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "intellectual"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "mind"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "tags": [
            "figuratively"
          ],
          "word": "rocket scientist"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "superbrain"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:genius",
          "word": "thinker"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbɹeɪn(ˌ)bɒks/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-brainbox.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/64/En-au-brainbox.ogg/En-au-brainbox.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/En-au-brainbox.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "brainbox"
}

Download raw JSONL data for brainbox meaning in English (4.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-19 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (d1270d2 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.