safe-deposit
safe-deposit — adjective
1. describes a lockable box, cabinet, or room — especially in a bank — that is buil
describes a lockable box, cabinet, or room — especially in a bank — that is built or designed to protect valuable items such as documents, jewellery, or cash from theft, fire, or damage.
Pim rented a safe-deposit box at the bank to store his grandmother's gold ring.
attributive: safe-deposit + box
The bank's safe-deposit vault is kept behind a steel door that is two metres thick.
attributive: safe-deposit + vault
Rin pays an annual fee for a medium-sized safe-deposit box at the downtown branch.
The hotel offers guests a safe-deposit locker in each room for passports and cash.
Each safe-deposit box needs two keys — one held by the customer and one by the bank.
文法句型
safe-deposit + noun (box / vault / locker / facility)
用法筆記
Always used attributively — that is, before another noun such as 'box', 'vault', or 'locker'. The variant spelling 'safety-deposit' is also common; the two forms are interchangeable in modern usage.
常見錯誤
safe-deposit — noun
1. a small lockable metal box kept inside a bank's vault, used by customers to stor
a small lockable metal box kept inside a bank's vault, used by customers to store valuable documents, jewellery, or money that they want to protect from theft or loss.
Wren opened her safe-deposit and checked that the insurance papers were still inside.
countable noun: a safe-deposit
The bank manager escorted Noor to the room where the safe-deposits were kept.
plural form: safe-deposits
Samir keeps his emergency savings in a safe-deposit at the main branch near his office.
When the bank closed, customers had to empty their safe-deposits within thirty days.
The cost of renting a small safe-deposit has gone up by ten percent this year.
- safe-deposit box
the full, more formal version of the same item
- strongbox
a lockable container for valuables, not necessarily inside a bank
- lockbox
used especially in American English; can be kept anywhere, not only in a bank
文法句型
a safe-deposit
safe-deposits (plural)
用法筆記
This countable-noun sense ('a safe-deposit', 'safe-deposits') is a shortened form of 'safe-deposit box'. In formal writing the full form is more common; the short form appears mainly in spoken or informal banking contexts. Do not confuse with 'safe-deposit' used as an adjective, which requires a following noun.