What is the difference between a box and a carton? One explanation received was a box contains one, a carton several.
Nope. Shoe box = 2 shoes. Carton of milk=milk.
This has bothered me for years. Please help me.
They’re basically the same thing. Cartone is Italian for pasteboard, and cartons are almost always made of cardboard. Box is a type of tree, and the first boxes were made of wood. However, most these days are also cardboard (wooden boxes are often called crates). Sometimes a carton (say, of cigarettes) will contain several boxes, sometimes the other way 'round – it all depends on who fills the box.