grab box

• grab-box

grab box (plural grab boxes)

1. (historical, US) A box having a small opening in the top through which individuals can (usually for a small amount of money) reach to retrieve an unknown trinket; a common feature of some fairs.

   Hypernyms: lucky dip, lucky draw

   Coordinate terms: grab bag, mystery bag

   • 1870, Jeremiah N. Thomas, “Jonadab Cleaver's Experiment; Or, the Last Church Fair at Rutway”, in Sabbath at Home‎^[1]:

     Then pointing successively to the lottery-table, grab-box, ring-cake, and cigars, he continued […]

   • 1906 February 1, “John the Shoeman's Grab Box”, in The Shoe Retailer‎^[2]:

     The grab box was on the third floor of his store, and a sales slip was good for one grab.

   • 1909, Jessie A. Kelley, Our Church Fair: A Farcical Entertainment in Two Acts‎^[3]:

     I shall have nothing more to do with this fair if we have a grab-box.