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A boxcar is a roofed freight car with sliding doors on its sides, designed to transport cargo that needs protection from the weather and theft. These enclosed cars are a fundamental type of freight car, alongside open-top cars and flatcars, and have been in use since the early 1800s. Boxcars are used for carrying manufactured goods and can be specialized, such as refrigerator cars for perishable items or stock cars for livestock. While the term "boxcar" can also be used metaphorically to describe something of a larger-than-average size, its primary meaning refers to this specific type of railway car.123

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