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waxwork

American  
[waks-wurk] / ˈwæksˌwɜrk /

noun

  1. a figure, ornament, or other object made of wax, or especially the life-size effigy of a person.

  2. the bittersweet, Celastrus scandens.


waxwork British  
/ ˈwæksˌwɜːk /

noun

  1. an object reproduced in wax, esp as an ornament

  2. a life-size lifelike figure, esp of a famous person, reproduced in wax

  3. (plural; functioning as singular or plural) a museum or exhibition of wax figures or objects

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of waxwork

First recorded in 1690–1700; wax 1 + work

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Later, in England, Little gains fame as the waxwork impresario Madame Tussaud.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 12, 2026

The MMA fighter's father, Tony McGregor, unveiled the waxwork in August 2017.

From BBC Nov. 28, 2024

The waxwork shows Gatwa dressed in one of his outfits from the series, which featured in the first episode called Space Babies.

From BBC Jul. 18, 2024

The museum's management also said there had been negative comments on social media about the waxwork.

From BBC Dec. 18, 2023

After a minute poised like a waxwork, Brother Louis lowered his shaking hands to Mrs. Coulter’s neck.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

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