shooting-box
Definition
Noun: A small country house or lodge used as a base for hunting or shooting activities, especially for game birds or animals.
Usage Examples
- (A rural lodge used for hunting trips.)
- (A hunting lodge with specific amenities for shooters.)
Advanced Usage
- "to retreat to a shooting-box": to go to a remote hunting lodge for leisure or sport.
- After the season ended, the duke retreated to his shooting-box for solitude. (He used the lodge as a private getaway after hunting.)
Variants and Related Words
- Shooting lodge (n): a synonym for "shooting-box," emphasizing the accommodation aspect.
- The shooting lodge was nestled in the forest. (A similar rural hunting accommodation.)
Synonyms
- Hunting lodge: a building used for accommodation during hunting expeditions.
- Gamekeeper's cottage: a small house where a person employed to manage game lives.
Related Idioms
- "A shooting-box of one's own": a metaphorical reference to having a private, remote retreat.
- He dreamed of owning a shooting-box of his own in the countryside. (A personal hunting lodge as a symbol of independence.)
Note on Usage
This term is historically associated with British aristocracy and landed gentry, particularly during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is less common in modern everyday speech but may appear in literature or historical contexts.