wax

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈwaks 

1

: a substance that is secreted by bees and is used by them for constructing the honeycomb, that is a dull yellow solid plastic when warm, and that is composed primarily of a mixture of esters, hydrocarbons, and fatty acids : beeswax

2

: any of various substances resembling the wax of bees: such as

a

: any of numerous substances of plant or animal origin that differ from fats in being less greasy, harder, and more brittle and in containing principally compounds of high molecular weight (such as fatty acids, alcohols, and saturated hydrocarbons)

b

: a solid substance (such as ozokerite or paraffin wax) of mineral origin consisting usually of hydrocarbons of high molecular weight

c

: a pliable or liquid composition used especially in uniting surfaces, excluding air, making patterns or impressions, or producing a polished surface

3

: something likened to wax as soft, impressionable, or readily molded

4

: a waxy secretion

especially : earwax

5

: a phonograph recording

waxlike

ˈwaks-ˌlīk 

adjective

wax

2 of 5

verb (1)

waxed; waxing; waxes

transitive verb

1

a

: to treat or rub with wax usually for polishing, stiffening, or reducing friction

b

: to apply wax to as a depilatory

getting her legs waxed

2

: to record on phonograph records

3

slang : to defeat decisively (as in an athletic contest)

wax

3 of 5

verb (2)

waxed; waxing; waxes

intransitive verb

1

a

: to increase in size, numbers, strength, prosperity, or intensity

b

: to grow in volume or duration

c

: to grow toward full development

2

: to increase in phase or intensity

—used chiefly of the moon, other satellites, and inferior planets

3

: to assume a (specified) characteristic, quality, or state : become

wax indignant

wax poetic

wax

4 of 5

noun (2)

: increase, growth

—usually used in the phrase on the wax

wax

5 of 5

noun (3)

: a fit of temper : rage

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• grease
• lubricate
• oil
• slick

Verb (2)

• accelerate
• accumulate
• appreciate
• balloon
• boom
• build up
• burgeon
• bourgeon
• climb
• enlarge
• escalate
• expand
• gain
• increase
• mount
• multiply
• mushroom
• proliferate
• rise
• roll up
• snowball
• spread
• swell

Examples of wax in a Sentence

Verb (1)

waxing a surfboard

I can't believe I bet on a football team that ended up getting waxed 45-0

Verb (2)

the commitment of the young volunteers to the cause seems to wax and wane

waxed poetic whenever he wrote to his girlfriend

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Styled casually or formally, this Barbour Bedale wax jacket is the perfect solution. —Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Nov. 2024

Billboard on Thursday apologized over a video compilation of Taylor Swift that inadvertently showed a clip from a Kanye West video depicting a wax figure that looked like the pop singer naked in bed with him. —Brie Stimson, Fox News, 29 Nov. 2024

Verb

The number of federal employees has waxed and waned through the years, steadily growing since the summer of 2022. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024

The couple have been waxing strong over the past eight years and value family time in addition to public shows of affection. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English weax; akin to Old High German wahs wax, Lithuanian vaškas

Verb (2)

Middle English waxen "to grow, increase in size or quantity," going back to Old English weaxan (Class VII strong verb, probably originally Class VI), going back to Germanic *wahsan- (whence also Old Frisian waxa, wexa "to grow, increase," Old Saxon wahsan "to grow, prosper," Middle Dutch wassen "to grow," Old High German wahsan, Old Icelandic vaxa, Gothic wahsjan), going back to an o-grade derivative of the Indo-European verbal base *h₂u̯eks- "grow, increase," whence with e-grade Greek aéxein "to cause to grow, strengthen," aéxesthai "to increase, grow"; with zero grade *h₂uks- Greek aúxein, auxánein "to raise, cultivate, grow," aúxesthai "grow, become larger," Tocharian B auks- "sprout, grow up," Sanskrit úkṣant- "growing," Avestan uxšiieitī "(it) grows"

Note: Germanic *wahsan- was a Class VI strong verb, though the weak infinitive wahsjan in Gothic is evidence of an original causative formation *h₂u̯oks-éi̯e-. In Old English the verb has shifted to Class VII, excepting the Northumbrian past tense forms awōx, wōxon. In later Middle English waxen became a weak verb, though the strong participle waxen persisted into early Modern English, being the more common form (as against waxed) in the Authorized Version of the Bible (1611). — As has long been noted, Indo-European *h₂u̯eks- appears to be a suffixed form of the root *h₂eu̯g- "increase," with the vowel in a different position—so-called "floating ablaut" (German Schwebeablaut) (see eke entry 2).

Noun (2)

Middle English, noun derivative of waxen "to grow, wax entry 3"

Noun (3)

perhaps from wax entry 3

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1854, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing wax

• ball of wax
• bikini wax
• carnauba wax
• Japan wax
• lost wax
• mineral wax
• montan wax
• sealing wax
• vegetable wax
• wax bean
• wax eloquent
• wax light
• wax lyrical
• wax moth
• wax museum
• wax myrtle
• wax palm
• wax paper

Kids Definition

wax

1 of 3 noun

ˈwaks 

1

: a yellowish moldable substance produced by bees and used by them for making the honeycomb

called also beeswax

2

: any of various substances like the wax of bees

waxlike

ˈwak-ˌslīk 

adjective

wax

2 of 3 verb

: to treat or rub with wax

wax

3 of 3 verb

1

: to grow larger, stronger, fuller, or more numerous

2

: become sense 1

waxed angry as I heard the story

Etymology

Noun

Old English weax "wax produced by bees"

Verb

Old English weaxan "to increase"

Medical Definition

wax

noun

ˈwaks 

1

: a substance that is secreted by bees and is used by them for constructing the honeycomb, that is a dull yellow solid plastic when warm, and that is composed of a mixture of esters, cerotic acid, and hydrocarbons

called also beeswax

2

: any of various substances resembling beeswax: as

a

: any of numerous substances of plant or animal origin that differ from fats in being less greasy, harder, and more brittle and in containing principally compounds of high molecular weight (as fatty acids, alcohols, and saturated hydrocarbons)

b

: a pliable or liquid composition used especially in uniting surfaces, excluding air, making patterns or impressions, or producing a polished surface

dental waxes

3

: a waxy secretion

especially : earwax