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waxwork

American  
[waks-wurk] / ˈwæksˌwɜrk /

noun

  1. a figure, ornament, or other object made of wax, or especially the life-size effigy of a person.

  2. the bittersweet, Celastrus scandens.


waxwork British  
/ ˈwæksˌwɜːk /

noun

  1. an object reproduced in wax, esp as an ornament

  2. a life-size lifelike figure, esp of a famous person, reproduced in wax

  3. (plural; functioning as singular or plural) a museum or exhibition of wax figures or objects

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of waxwork

First recorded in 1690–1700; wax 1 + work

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Later, in England, Little gains fame as the waxwork impresario Madame Tussaud.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 12, 2026

She was also the first female footballer to have a waxwork figure made at Madame Tussauds, winning a public vote.

From BBC May 27, 2025

The waxwork shows Gatwa dressed in one of his outfits from the series, which featured in the first episode called Space Babies.

From BBC Jul. 18, 2024

They were clothed in imitation robes and regalia: waxwork monarchs in paste jewels, masters of all they surveyed.

From Washington Post May 2, 2023

This was a full-blown, very plump damsel, fair as waxwork, with handsome and regular features, languishing blue eyes, and ringleted yellow hair.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

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