Description and usage
The manger was a trough, made of stone or wood, where animals fed, possibly even an open feeding place under the sky.
Translation
It may be important in some languages to distinguish between various alternatives. A “feed trough” or “manger” normally refers to a relatively large box or rack containing hay, where an animal stands when it feeds; a “feedbox” is a much smaller container, usually for grain. There is no way of knowing precisely where the baby Jesus was placed in LUK 2:7, but it would have been appropriate for the baby to be placed in the feedbox or in the manger.