sealing wax

American  

noun

1. a resinous preparation, soft when heated, used for sealing letters, documents, etc.

---

sealing wax British  

noun

1. a hard material made of shellac, turpentine, and pigment that softens when heated. It is used for sealing documents, parcels, letters, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of sealing wax

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sealing wax

I applied sealing wax and dropped it in a mailbox.

From New York Times ● May 25, 2024

You can’t do it with chewing gum and sealing wax.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 15, 2022

And you can take that anywhere you like — Christmas plus pizza, Christmas plus Bigfoot, Christmas plus Hanukkah, clouds, pigs, sealing wax, whatever.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2018

The man who revolutionized our understanding of the universe using little more than string and sealing wax would have watched with pride and hope.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 30, 2013

Mr Joseph Hooper moved his hand towards the small, left-side drawer in the desk, underneath the drawer where sealing wax had always been kept.

From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill