waxwork

[ waks-wurk ]

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

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈwaxˌworker, noun

Other Words From

• waxworker noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of waxwork¹

First recorded in 1690–1700; wax ¹ + work

Example Sentences

Warne looked—in the words of the Daily Mail—“like a spooky waxwork.”

From The Daily Beast

When Madame Tussauds unveiled their new waxwork of Kate, people queued up for a chance to feel “her” hair.

From The Daily Beast

The world of human beings would then be just as dull and uninspiring as a waxwork show.

From Project Gutenberg

He lay there like a lifeless waxwork—blown through, like an apparatus out of order, to simulate breath, and doing it badly.

From Project Gutenberg

But that laugh started the machinery of the group of waxwork figures with the wax-white skins.

From Project Gutenberg

Once, I had been taken to see some ghastly waxwork at the Fair, representing I know not what impossible personage lying in state.

From Project Gutenberg

It is one of the most beautiful of dessert fruits: it has no down on the skin, being entirely smooth and beautiful, like waxwork.

From Project Gutenberg