also box-wood, "wood of the box-tree," fine and hard-grained, used for handles, etc., 1650s, from box (n.3) + wood (n.).
Entries linking to boxwood
box n.3
genus of small evergreen trees, Old English, from Latin buxus, from Greek pyxos "box tree," which is of uncertain origin. Beekes suggests a loan-word from Italy, as that is where the tree is native. Compare box (n.1).
wood n.
Old English wudu, earlier widu "tree, trees collectively, forest, grove; the substance of which trees are made," from Proto-Germanic *widu- (source also of Old Norse viðr, Danish and Swedish ved "tree, wood," Old High German witu "wood"), from PIE *widhu- "tree, wood" (source also of Welsh gwydd "trees," Gaelic fiodh- "wood, timber," Old Irish fid "tree, wood"). Out of the woods "safe" is from 1792.