wax

[ waks ]

/ wæks /

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See synonyms for: wax / waxen / waxing / waxlike on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

earwax; cerumen.

a resinous substance used by shoemakers for rubbing thread.

sealing wax.

a person or object suggesting wax, as in manageability or malleability: I am helpless wax in your hands.

verb (used with object)

to rub, smear, stiffen, polish, etc., with wax: to wax the floor.

to fill the crevices of (ornamental marble) with colored material.

bikini wax.

Informal. to make a phonograph recording of.

Slang. to defeat decisively; drub: We waxed the competition.

adjective

pertaining to, made of, or resembling wax: a wax candle; a wax doll.

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Idioms about wax

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

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun wax(e), wex(e), Old English weax, wex; cognate with Dutch was, German Wachs, Old Norse vax; the verb is derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM wax

wax·a·ble, adjectivewaxlike, adjective

Other definitions for wax (2 of 3)

wax²

[ waks ]

/ wæks /

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR wax

1 extend, grow, lengthen, enlarge, dilate.

See synonyms for wax on Thesaurus.com

Origin of wax

First recorded before 900; Middle English waxen, wax(e), waxien, Old English weaxan, weacsan, weahsan; cognate with German wachsen; akin to waist

Other definitions for wax (3 of 3)

wax³

[ waks ]

/ wæks /

noun Chiefly British.

a fit of anger; rage.

Origin of wax

First recorded in 1850–55; perhaps special use of wax²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wax in a sentence

You go for your gold-digger lessons, then you go get waxed and tanned.
Russia’s Gold Digger Academy|Peter Pomerantsev|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After meeting Obama, Baugh returned to his freshly washed and waxed truck.
The President and the Tow Truck Driver|Michael Daly|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Umm…they maintain themselves,” she responded when asked whether or not they were threaded, plucked, or waxed.
Donald Sterling’s Former Mistress Makes the “Paparazzi Shield” Chic; Cara Delevingne Has Self-Grooming Eyebrows|The Fashion Beast Team|May 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After all, body hair is natural—a whole lot more natural than grown women who have been waxed to look like Barbie dolls.
Madonna Took a Selfie of Her Hairy Armpit. So What?|Amy Zimmerman|March 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Its prestige (if not its income) waxed and waned as Thatcherism died and the Blair era arrived.
Charles Saatchi: From Saatchi & Saatchi to Allegedly Choking Nigella Lawson|Peter Jukes|June 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In Luke it is said, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom.”
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
You have waxed fat and sleek in your seneschalship; this easy life in Dauphiny appears to have been well suited to your health.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
He had a waxed mustache which he was in the habit of twisting whenever in deep thought.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Kip Burland also recognized the handsome, energetic man with the sleek black hair and small, waxed mustache.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Aristide waxed enthusiastic over the English climate and rejoiced in the mild country air.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke

British Dictionary definitions for wax (1 of 3)

wax¹

/ (wæks) /

noun

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

short for beeswax, sealing wax

physiol another name for cerumen

a resinous preparation used by shoemakers to rub on thread

bone wax a 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 forms of wax

waxer, nounwaxlike, adjective

Word Origin for wax

Old English weax, related to Old Saxon, Old High German wahs, Old Norse vax

British Dictionary definitions for wax (2 of 3)

wax²

/ (wæks) /

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)

archaic to 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

British Dictionary definitions for wax (3 of 3)

wax³

/ (wæks) /

noun

British informal, old-fashioned a fit of rage or temperhe's in a wax today

Word Origin for wax

of obscure origin; perhaps from the phrase to wax angry

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

Scientific definitions for wax

wax

[ wăks ]

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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with wax

wax

In addition to the idiom beginning with wax

wax and wane

also see:

whole ball of wax

wax

Idioms about wax

Origin of wax

OTHER WORDS FROM wax

Other definitions for wax (2 of 3)

OTHER WORDS FOR wax

Origin of wax

Other definitions for wax (3 of 3)

Origin of wax

Words related to wax

How to use wax in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wax (1 of 3)

Derived forms of wax

Word Origin for wax

British Dictionary definitions for wax (2 of 3)

Word Origin for wax

British Dictionary definitions for wax (3 of 3)

Word Origin for wax

Scientific definitions for wax

Other Idioms and Phrases with wax