Glove compartment - wikipedia Glove compartment For the sealed container for handling hazardous materials, see Glovebox. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2010 ) The glove compartment of a Ford Fusion with an owner 's manual visible. A glove compartment or glovebox or glovie is a compartment built into the dashboard of an automobile, located over the front - seat passenger 's footwell, and often used for miscellaneous storage. The name derives from the original purpose of the compartment, to store driving gloves. They were sometimes in a box on the floorboard near the driver, hence the word `` 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 with the convertible top down, or when the compartment contains a mechanism to open the trunk ). Contents 1 Other local names 2 History 3 References 4 See also Other local names In Barbados, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, as well as parts of southern Minnesota and northwest Wyoming, the glove compartment is commonly referred to as a `` cubby - hole ''. It is also occasionally called a jockey box, especially in the upper Rocky Mountain states in the United States, such as Idaho. History Driving gloves were considered necessary equipment in early cars, many of which lacked a hard top, to prevent the cooling effect of fast - moving air from numbing drivers ' hands. Gloves are still considered necessary equipment on motorcycles for the same reason, although, unlike cars, most motorcycles do not have glove boxes. In some vehicles, the inside of the compartment 's door may have an indented area for holding cups when open, and a section for holding a pen or pencil. In some newer cars, the glove compartment is temperature controlled, so that it can be used as a cooler. In others, such as the Toyota Yaris hatchback, multiple glove compartments are provided. According to the BBC Four program Penelope Keith and the Fast Lady ( Aaron Syer ), Dorothy Levitt first coined the phrase glove compartment as she advised motorists to carry a number of pairs of gloves to deal with many eventualities. In the past, glove compartments typically contained an internal light, which automatically turned on when the box was opened, helping to search its contents. From the 2000s, many manufacturers have not provided this light, to cut costs, even in luxury vehicles. To date, aftermarket parts manufacturers have not provided solutions for this omission. References Jump up ^ `` Glove Box Light or Lack of One ''. GM Inside News. 2008 - 05 - 19. Retrieved 2012 - 09 - 25. See also Center console ( automobile ) Car interior Part of a series of articles on cars Interior equipment Instruments Automotive navigation system Global Positioning System Automotive night vision Backup camera Blind spot monitor Boost gauge Buzzer Carputer Check engine light Electronic instrument cluster Fuel gauge Head - up display Lidar detector Odometer Parking sensor Radar detector Speedometer Tachometer Telematics Idiot light Trip computer Controls Bowden cable Brake Clutch Cruise control Electronic throttle control Gear stick Manettino dial Parking brake Power steering Steering wheel Throttle Anti-theft Alarm Automatic vehicle location Immobiliser Power door locks Remote keyless system Smart key VIN etching Safety Seating Airbag Armrest Automatic seat belts Bench seat Bucket seat Child safety lock Rear - view mirror Rumble seat Seat belt Other elements Air conditioning Automobile accessory power Center console Dashboard Glove compartment Sun visor Convenience Audio Cigarette lighter receptacle Cup holder Car Phone Commons Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Glove_compartment&oldid=861160412 '' Categories : Automotive body parts Containers Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from February 2010 All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Dansk Deutsch Español Français עברית Nederlands Português 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 25 September 2018, at 14 : 41 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: where does the term glove box come from
Answer: from the original purpose of the compartment, to store driving gloves