<P> A glove compartment or glovebox or glovie is a compartment built into the dashboard , located over the front - seat passenger 's footwell in an automobile , often used for miscellaneous storage . The name derives from the original purpose of the compartment , to store gloves . They were sometimes in a box on the floorboard near the driver , hence the alternate moniker of a `` glovebox '' . In most vehicles , the glove compartment closes with a latch , with the option of being locked with a key ( often desirable when using valet service , or when parking while the convertible top is down , or when the compartment contains a mechanism to open the trunk ) . </P>
<P> A glove compartment or glovebox or glovie is a compartment built into the dashboard , located over the front - seat passenger 's footwell in an automobile , often used for miscellaneous storage . The name derives from the original purpose of the compartment , to store gloves . They were sometimes in a box on the floorboard near the driver , hence the alternate moniker of a `` glovebox '' . In most vehicles , the glove compartment closes with a latch , with the option of being locked with a key ( often desirable when using valet service , or when parking while the convertible top is down , or when the compartment contains a mechanism to open the trunk ) . </P>
where did the word glove box come from
where did the word glove box come from
from the original purpose of the compartment , to store gloves
from the original purpose of the compartment , to store gloves