beeswax

American  

[beez-waks] / ˈbizˌwæks /

noun

1. wax.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to rub or treat with beeswax.

beeswax British  

/ ˈbiːzˌwæks /

noun

1. 1. a yellowish or dark brown wax secreted by honeybees for constructing honeycombs

   2. this wax after refining, purifying, etc, used in polishes, ointments, and for modelling

---

verb

1. (tr) to polish with such wax

Etymology

Origin of beeswax

First recorded in 1670–80; bee ¹ + 's ¹ + wax ¹

Explanation

Beeswax is the substance that makes up the inside of a bee's hive. Honeycomb is made of beeswax filled with honey. If you've ever chewed a piece of honeycomb, you've tasted beeswax. The sweetness comes from the honey, but the waxy, chewable substance is the wax that's produced by bees so they can construct the honeycomb. Humans use beeswax for many products, from lip balm to furniture polish. When you ask your sister a question and she says, "That's none of your beeswax!" she means it's not your business or concern.

Example Sentences

Beeswax produced mono-carboxylic fatty acids and cinnamic compounds.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

The Beeswax Wreck is said to have inspired Steven Spielberg’s story for “The Goonies,” a 1985 film about a group of kids who search the Oregon coast for treasure from a 17th-century pirate ship.

From New York Times • Jul. 12, 2022

For 15 years, archaeologists have been trying to find what is now known as the Beeswax Wreck.

From Washington Post • Jul. 10, 2022

"This whole Facebook debacle is very good for Google," said Ari Paparo, a former Googler who runs ad tech firm Beeswax.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2018

People up there bought so many of her candles and jars of honey she couldn’t keep up with it, and there were tins of Black Madonna All-Purpose Beeswax for her special customers.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

Related Words

• interest
• issue
• problem