wax myrtle

noun

an aromatic shrub, Myrica cerifera, of the southeastern U.S., bearing small berries coated with wax that is sometimes used in making candles.

Compare bayberry.

Origin of wax myrtle

First recorded in 1800–10

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for wax myrtle

Historical Examples of wax myrtle

Before the Revolution a favorite candle for burning at fine houses was made of the wax-myrtle berry.
Stories of American Life and Adventure
Edward Eggleston

British Dictionary definitions for wax myrtle

wax myrtle

noun

a shrub, Myrica cerifera, of SE North America, having evergreen leaves and a small berry-like fruit with a waxy coating: family MyricaceaeAlso called: bayberry, candleberry, waxberry

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