waxworks

American  

[waks-wurks] / ˈwæksˌwɜrks /

noun

(usually used with a singular verb)

plural

waxworks

1. an exhibition of or a museum for displaying wax figures, ornaments, etc.

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Etymology

Origin of waxworks

First recorded in 1690–1700; wax ¹ + work ( def. ) + -s ³ ( def. )

Example Sentences

At Barnum’s American Museum in New York City, visitors could see America’s first aquarium, a menagerie of exotic animals, performances by magicians and ventriloquists, and waxworks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026

The figure will feature alongside waxworks of Timothée Chalamet, Harry Styles and Zendaya as part of the attraction's Awards Party zone.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2025

When you walk through a crowd of strangers it’s next door to impossible not to imagine that they’re all waxworks, but probably they’re thinking just the same about you.

From Salon • Sep. 1, 2025

But what no one seems to be claiming is that all this appeal and grace will breed new thoughts in architecture, the way Sugimoto’s theaters and waxworks revealed new options for photography.

From New York Times • Aug. 6, 2021

Hugo and I caught each other's eye and for one moment we were alone in a roomful of waxworks.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell