Also called beeswax. a solid, yellowish, nonglycerine substance allied to fats and oils, secreted by bees, plastic when warm and melting at about 145°F, variously employed in making candles, models, casts, ointments, etc., and used by bees in constructing their honeycomb.
any of various similar substances, as spermaceti or the secretions of certain insects and plants.Compare vegetable wax, wax insect.
any of a group of substances composed of hydrocarbons, alcohols, fatty acids, and esters that are solid at ordinary temperatures.
cerumen; earwax.
a resinous substance used by shoemakers for rubbing thread.
Slang. to defeat decisively; drub: We waxed the competition.
adjective
pertaining to, made of, or resembling wax: a wax candle; a wax doll.
Idioms
whole ball of wax, Slang.
the entire or overall plan, concept, action, result, or the like: The first ten minutes of the meeting will determine the whole ball of wax.
everything of a similar or related nature: They sold us skis, boots, bindings, poles—the whole ball of wax.
Origin of wax
1
before 900; (noun) Middle Englishwex, waxe,Old Englishweax; cognate with Dutchwas,GermanWachs,Old Norsevax; (v.) Middle Englishwexen, derivative of the noun
Related formswax·a·ble, adjectivewax·like, adjective
wax
2
[waks]
verb (used without object),waxed;waxed or (Literary)wax·en;wax·ing.
to increase in extent, quantity, intensity, power, etc.: Discord waxed at an alarming rate.
(of the moon) to increase in the extent of its illuminated portion before the full moon.Compare wane(def 4).
to grow or become: He waxed angry at the insinuation.
Origin of wax
2
before 900;Middle Englishwaxen,Old Englishweaxan; cognate with Germanwachsen; akin to waist
any of various viscous or solid materials of natural origin: characteristically lustrous, insoluble in water, and having a low softening temperature, they consist largely of esters of fatty acids
any of various similar substances, such as paraffin wax or ozocerite, that have a mineral origin and consist largely of hydrocarbons
a resinous preparation used by shoemakers to rub on thread
bone waxa mixture of wax, oil, and carbolic acid applied to the cut surface of a bone to prevent bleeding
any substance or object that is pliable or easily mouldedhe was wax in the hands of the political bosses
(modifier)made of or resembling waxa wax figure
the act or an instance of removing body hair by coating it with warm wax, applying a strip of fabric, and then removing the fabric sharply, thereby plucking the hairs out by their roots
verb
(tr)to coat, polish, etc, with wax
to remove (body hair) by means of a wax treatment
Derived Formswaxer, nounwaxlike, adjective
Word Origin for wax
Old English weax, related to Old Saxon, Old High German wahs, Old Norse vax
wax
2
verb(intr)
to become larger, more powerful, etc
(of the moon) to show a gradually increasing portion of illuminated surface, between new moon and full moonCompare wane (def. 1)
archaicto become as specifiedthe time waxed late
Word Origin for wax
Old English weaxan; related to Old Frisian waxa, Old Saxon, Old High German wahsan, Gothic wahsjan
wax
3
noun
Britishinformal, old-fashioneda fit of rage or temperhe's in a wax today
Word Origin for wax
of obscure origin; perhaps from the phrase to wax angry
"substance made by bees," Old English weax, from Proto-Germanic *wakhsan (cf. Old Saxon, Old High German wahs, Old Norse vax, Dutch was, German Wachs); cognate with Old Church Slavonic vasku, Lithuanian vaškas, Polish wosk, Russian vosk "wax" (but these may be from Germanic). Waxworks "exhibition of wax figures representing famous or notorious persons" first recorded 1796.
wax
v.
"grow bigger or greater," Old English weaxan "to increase, grow" (class VII strong verb; past tense weox, past participle weaxen), from Proto-Germanic *wakhsan (cf. Old Saxon, Old High German wahsan, Old Norse vaxa, Old Frisian waxa, Dutch wassen, German wachsen, Gothic wahsjan "to grow, increase"), from PIE *wegs- (cf. Sanskrit vaksayati "cause to grow," Greek auxein "to increase"), extended form of root *aug- "to increase" (see augment). Strong conjugation archaic after 14c. Related: Waxed; waxing.
Any of various natural, oily or greasy heat-sensitive substances, consisting of hydrocarbons or esters of fatty acids that are insoluble in water but soluble in most organic solvents.
Cerumen.
A solid plastic or pliable liquid substance, such as paraffin, originating from petroleum and found in rock layers and often used in medicinal preparations.
Any of various solid, usually yellow substances that melt or soften easily when heated. They are similar to fats, but are less greasy and more brittle. Naturally occurring animal and plant waxes are esters of saturated fatty acids and alcohols of high molecular weight, including sterols. Waxes are also manufactured synthetically from petroleum, and are used to make polishers, lubricants, coatings, waterproofing, crayons, candles, and many other products.
