Sandbox (noun)

1. A box or pit filled with sand for children to play in.
2. A testing environment in which a computer program, script, or other software can execute without affecting the live production environment.
3. A virtual or isolated environment in which a software developer can test a program without altering the live production environment.

Origin:

late 19th century: from the practice of providing children with a box filled with sand for them to play in.

Examples:

1. The children played in the sandbox, building sandcastles and making sand pies.
2. The developer ran the software in the sandbox before deploying it in production.
3. The sandbox environment allowed the developer to test the program without fear of breaking anything.
4. The company used a sandbox testing environment to ensure the new software was stable.
5. The sandbox was a perfect place for the kids to play and explore their creativity.