wax

[ waks ]

/ wæks /

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.

cerumen; earwax.

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.

Idioms for 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

before 900; (noun) Middle English wex, waxe, Old English weax; cognate with Dutch was, German Wachs, Old Norse vax; (v.) Middle English wexen, derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM wax

wax·a·ble, adjective wax·like, adjective

Words nearby wax

wavey, wavy, waw, wawa, wawl, wax, wax and wane, wax bean, wax cap, wax flower, wax gourd

Definition for wax (2 of 3)

wax ²

[ 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.

Origin of wax

before 900; Middle English waxen, Old English weaxan; cognate with German wachsen; akin to waist

SYNONYMS FOR wax

1 extend, grow, lengthen, enlarge, dilate.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR wax ON THESAURUS.COM

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wax

wane wax

Definition for wax (3 of 3)

wax ³

[ waks ]

/ wæks /

noun Chiefly British.

a fit of anger; rage.

Origin of wax

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

Example sentences from the Web for wax

Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt on parchment or wax paper.

Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Sticky Toffee Pudding |Carla Hall |December 28, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Inside the wax floored examining room, I sat up on the powder blue table with my shirt off.

I Shot Bin Laden |Elliot Ackerman |November 16, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I promised never again to wax lyrical about the fries in gravy.

I Saw Nuclear Armageddon Sitting on My Desk |Clive Irving |November 10, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Full disclosure: I briefly worked for Torres at his current magazine, Wax Poetics.

It Was All a Dream: Drama, Bullshit, and the Rebirth of The Source Magazine |Alex Suskind |October 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Once dried, a liquid, such as plaster, wax, or bronze, is poured in for a perfect representation of the face.

The Ukrainian Face Collector Launches an Exhibition in Kiev |Nina Strochlic |August 21, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Mops are impossible, and this is another subject on which the housekeeper can wax eloquent.

Guide to Hotel Housekeeping |Mary E. Palmer
Wax lights blaze upon the altar—many witnesses are standing round it.

The Continental Monthly, Vol. 6, No 3, September 1864 |Various
It was so carelessly sealed that we were able to open and refasten it without seeming to have broken the wax.

The Road to Paris |Robert Neilson Stephens
Timbuctoo now scarcely forwards anything but gold to the coast of Tripoli, together with wax and ivory, but no slaves.

Narrative of a Mission to Central Africa Performed in the Years 1850-51, Volume 1 |James Richardson
We simply find it hard to believe that they are not wax flowers grown under a glass case.

Twelve Types |G.K. Chesterton

British Dictionary definitions for wax (1 of 3)

wax ¹

/ (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 moulded he was wax in the hands of the political bosses

(modifier) made of or resembling wax a 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, noun waxlike, 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)

wax ²

/ (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 moon Compare wane (def. 1)

archaic to become as specified the 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)

wax ³

/ (wæks) /

noun

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

Word Origin for wax

of obscure origin; perhaps from the phrase to wax angry

Medical definitions for wax

wax

[ wăks ]

n.

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.

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.

Idioms and Phrases with wax

wax

In addition to the idiom beginning with wax

wax and wane

also see:

whole ball of wax

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

wax