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

A fingerprint has been detected on sealing wax.

From New York Times • Feb. 20, 2020

Here he places the deep red of the sealing wax next to the musky pink on the book’s cover.

From Washington Post • Mar. 12, 2019

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

Although he had no seal, he longed for sealing wax.

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison