Link Centre Dictionary

soapbox

soap·box

UK/ˈsəʊpbɒks/ US/ˈsoʊˌpbɑks/ rare

noun

1.
2.

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

Origin

From soap + box. The figurative use of the word derives from the fact that soap products in the US used to be commonly transported to stores in large wooden boxes. It used to be common for individuals to give impromptu rally speeches to their neighbors by finding something to stand on like a soapbox.

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.