wax

¹

[ waks ]

noun

1. Also called beeswax. a solid, yellowish, nonglycerine substance allied to fats and oils, secreted by bees, plastic when warm and melting at about 145°F, variously employed in making candles, models, casts, ointments, etc., and used by bees in constructing their honeycomb.
2. any of various similar substances, as spermaceti or the secretions of certain insects and plants. Compare vegetable wax, wax insect.
3. any of a group of substances composed of hydrocarbons, alcohols, fatty acids, and esters that are solid at ordinary temperatures.
4. earwax; cerumen.
5. a resinous substance used by shoemakers for rubbing thread.
6. sealing wax.
7. a person or object suggesting wax, as in manageability or malleability:

   I am helpless wax in your hands.

verb (used with object)

1. to rub, smear, stiffen, polish, etc., with wax:

   to wax the floor.

2. to fill the crevices of (ornamental marble) with colored material.
3. bikini wax.
4. Informal. to make a phonograph recording of.
5. Slang. to defeat decisively; drub:

   We waxed the competition.

adjective

1. pertaining to, made of, or resembling wax:

   a wax candle; a wax doll.

wax

²

[ waks ]

verb (used without object)

, waxed; waxed or (Literary) wax·en; wax·ing.

1. to increase in extent, quantity, intensity, power, etc.:

   Discord waxed at an alarming rate.

   Synonyms: dilate, enlarge, lengthen, grow, extend

2. (of the moon) to increase in the extent of its illuminated portion before the full moon. Compare wane ( def 4 ).
3. to grow or become:

   He waxed angry at the insinuation.

wax

³

[ waks ]

noun

, Chiefly British.

1. a fit of anger; rage.

wax

¹

/ wæks /

noun

1. informal.
   a fit of rage or temper

   he's in a wax today

wax

²

/ wæks /

noun

1. any of various viscous or solid materials of natural origin: characteristically lustrous, insoluble in water, and having a low softening temperature, they consist largely of esters of fatty acids
2. any of various similar substances, such as paraffin wax or ozocerite, that have a mineral origin and consist largely of hydrocarbons
3. short for beeswax sealing wax
4. physiol another name for cerumen
5. a resinous preparation used by shoemakers to rub on thread
6. bone wax
   a mixture of wax, oil, and carbolic acid applied to the cut surface of a bone to prevent bleeding
7. any substance or object that is pliable or easily moulded

   he was wax in the hands of the political bosses

8. modifier made of or resembling wax

   a wax figure

9. the act or an instance of removing body hair by coating it with warm wax, applying a strip of fabric, and then removing the fabric sharply, thereby plucking the hairs out by their roots

verb

1. tr to coat, polish, etc, with wax
2. to remove (body hair) by means of a wax treatment

wax

³

/ wæks /

verb

1. to become larger, more powerful, etc
2. (of the moon) to show a gradually increasing portion of illuminated surface, between new moon and full moon Compare wane
3. archaic.
   to become as specified

   the time waxed late

wax

/ wăks /

1. Any of various solid, usually yellow substances that melt or soften easily when heated. They are similar to fats, but are less greasy and more brittle. Naturally occurring animal and plant waxes are esters of saturated fatty acids and alcohols of high molecular weight, including sterols. Waxes are also manufactured synthetically from petroleum, and are used to make polishers, lubricants, coatings, waterproofing, crayons, candles, and many other products.

Derived Forms

• ˈwaxˌlike, adjective
• ˈwaxer, noun

Other Words From

• waxa·ble adjective
• waxlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of wax¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun wax(e), wex(e), Old English weax, wex; cognate with Dutch was, German Wachs, Old Norse vax; the verb is derivative of the noun

Origin of wax²

First recorded before 900; Middle English waxen, wax(e), waxien, Old English weaxan, weacsan, weahsan; cognate with German wachsen; akin to waist

Origin of wax³

First recorded in 1850–55; perhaps special use of wax ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of wax¹

of obscure origin; perhaps from the phrase to wax angry

Origin of wax²

Old English weax, related to Old Saxon, Old High German wahs, Old Norse vax

Origin of wax³

Old English weaxan; related to Old Frisian waxa, Old Saxon, Old High German wahsan, Gothic wahsjan

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. whole ball of wax, Slang.
   1. the entire or overall plan, concept, action, result, or the like:

      The first ten minutes of the meeting will determine the whole ball of wax.

   2. everything of a similar or related nature:

      They sold us skis, boots, bindings, poles—the whole ball of wax.

More idioms and phrases containing wax

In addition to the idiom beginning with wax , also see whole ball of wax .

Example Sentences

Their power doesn’t wax and wane depending on their clothing.

From Salon

Orange County and non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties are required to stop burning wood, including manufactured logs made of wax or paper, anywhere indoors or outdoors from midnight through 11:59 p.m.

From Los Angeles Times

Recognising the untapped potential of indigenous textiles fading from memory -especially with the rise of "ankara" wax prints, a European import that has come to symbolise African design - Mandi set out to revive these cultural elements.

From BBC

Do look into alternatives to wax candles when lighting your jack-o-lantern, such as glow sticks or battery-operated candles.

From Los Angeles Times

The floors were polished with a shining coat of wax.

From Slate