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Instead, the moss’s telltale sign of woe is its glum, grayish hue, a waxen appearance that comes from ferns and algae that have crept over it.—Sabrina Imbler, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Dec. 2020
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of waxen was
before the 12th century
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