diff --git a/src/interpreter.janet b/src/interpreter.janet
index a252b99..f6a5e53 100644
--- a/src/interpreter.janet
+++ b/src/interpreter.janet
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@
         (set (the-dict key) value))))
   the-dict)
 
-(defn- ref [ast ctx]
+(defn- box [ast ctx]
   (def {:data value-ast :name name} ast)
   (def value (interpret value-ast ctx))
   (def box @{:^type :box :^value value :name name})
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@
     # named/naming forms
     :word (word ast ctx)
     :interpolated (interpolated ast ctx)
-    :ref (ref ast ctx)
+    :box (box ast ctx)
     :pkg (pkg ast ctx)
     :pkg-name (word ast ctx)
 
diff --git a/src/ludus.janet b/src/ludus.janet
index bc9a4e5..dbdce7f 100644
--- a/src/ludus.janet
+++ b/src/ludus.janet
@@ -55,8 +55,9 @@
 # (do
  # (def start (os/clock))
  (def source `
-let foo = :bar
-let first = 1
+box foo = :bar
+store! (foo, :baz)
+unbox (foo)
  `)
  (def out (-> source 
   ludus
diff --git a/src/parser.janet b/src/parser.janet
index 379da18..edb84d0 100644
--- a/src/parser.janet
+++ b/src/parser.janet
@@ -871,16 +871,16 @@
   (array/push data (capture simple parser)))
  {:type :do :data data :token origin})
 
-### refs, pkgs, nses, etc.
-(defn- ref [parser]
+### boxs, pkgs, nses, etc.
+(defn- box [parser]
  (def origin (current parser))
- (expect parser :ref) (advance parser)
+ (expect parser :box) (advance parser)
  (try
   (do
    (def name (-> parser word-only (get :data)))
    (expect parser :equals) (advance parser)
    (def value (nonbinding parser))
-   {:type :ref :data value :name name :token origin})
+   {:type :box :data value :name name :token origin})
   ([err] err)))
 
 (defn- pkg-name [parser]
@@ -1011,7 +1011,7 @@
 ### expressions
 # four levels of expression complexity:
 # simple (atoms, collections, synthetic expressions; no conditionals or binding or blocks)
-# nonbinding (excludes let, ref, named fn: what is allowed inside collections)
+# nonbinding (excludes let, box, named fn: what is allowed inside collections)
 # plain old exprs (anything but toplevel)
 # toplevel (exprs + ns, pkg, test, import, use)
 
@@ -1099,7 +1099,7 @@
   # binding forms
   :let (lett parser)
   :fn (fnn parser)
-  :ref (ref parser)
+  :box (box parser)
 
   # nonbinding forms
   :nil (nill parser)
diff --git a/src/scanner.janet b/src/scanner.janet
index 0f14dd7..b7f89d1 100644
--- a/src/scanner.janet
+++ b/src/scanner.janet
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   ## see ludus-spec repo for more info
   {
    "as" :as ## impl
-   "box" :ref
+   "box" :box
    "do" :do ## impl
    "else" :else ## impl
    "false" :false ## impl -> literal word
diff --git a/src/validate.janet b/src/validate.janet
index 5f81685..1fea991 100644
--- a/src/validate.janet
+++ b/src/validate.janet
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ Deferred until a later iteration of Ludus:
  (set (ast :arities) arities)
  validator)
 
-(defn- ref [validator]
+(defn- box [validator]
  (def ast (validator :ast))
  (def ctx (validator :ctx))
  (def expr (ast :data))
@@ -757,7 +757,7 @@ Deferred until a later iteration of Ludus:
    :use (usee validator)
    :loop (loopp validator)
    :recur (recur validator)
-   :ref (ref validator)
+   :box (box validator)
    (error (string "unknown node type " type)))))
 
 (set validate validate*)