wax and wane
Increase and decrease, as in size, number, strength, or intensity, as in Enrollments in these programs wax and wane from year to year. This expression alludes to the phases of the moon, with its periodic changes in size. It was first recorded in the 1300s.
RELATED CONTENT
Why is this weekend’s full moon (the flower moon) so unusual?When an exceptional full moon peeks out of the sky on Saturday morning, a whole host of lunar vocabulary will come with it. It’s no coincidence that the word “moon” looks like “month.” They share a Germanic base — plus, the moon’s cycle resets itself on average every 29.53 days. The period of time between new moons is known as the synodic month. (A new …
Nearby words
- wavy,
- waw,
- wawa,
- wawl,
- wax,
- wax bean,
- wax cap,
- wax flower,
- wax gourd,
- wax insect
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.