Boxwoods

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An evergreen shrub commonly used for hedges or ornamental landscaping that features small, dense leaves and a compact growth habit
2. A type of shrub frequently cultivated for its ability to be clipped into formal shapes, popular in gardens and parks
3. A hardy plant valued in horticulture for its lush, rounded foliage and suitability for topiary designs

Etymology: The plural "boxwoods" is simply the plural of "boxwood," so the story belongs to the two parts of that compound. The "box" half comes from Latin "buxus," which meant the box-tree itself and also any object made from its hard, close-grained wood. Ancient Greek had a close relative, "púxos," and the exact origin of the Latin and Greek words is uncertain, so nobody can say for sure where the tree's name began. English took the tree's name into the language and joined it to "wood," the ordinary word for timber or the material of a tree. The result describes the wood of the box-tree, and by extension the shrub itself, which gardeners clip into hedges, knots and topiary. Because the wood is dense and fine-grained, it was valued for small, precise objects such as carving and tool parts, and that practical reputation is part of why the tree has kept its name for so long.