wax

1
[ waks ]
See synonyms for: waxwaxenwaxingwaxlike on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. 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.

  2. any of various similar substances, as spermaceti or the secretions of certain insects and plants.: Compare vegetable wax, wax insect.

  1. any of a group of substances composed of hydrocarbons, alcohols, fatty acids, and esters that are solid at ordinary temperatures.

  2. a resinous substance used by shoemakers for rubbing thread.

  3. a person or object suggesting wax, as in manageability or malleability: I am helpless wax in your hands.

verb (used with object)
  1. to rub, smear, stiffen, polish, etc., with wax: to wax the floor.

  2. to fill the crevices of (ornamental marble) with colored material.

  1. Informal. to make a phonograph recording of.

  2. Slang. to defeat decisively; drub: We waxed the competition.

adjective
  1. pertaining to, made of, or resembling wax: a wax candle; a wax doll.

Idioms about wax

  1. 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

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun wax(e), wex(e), Old English weax, wex; cognate with Dutch was, German Wachs, Old Norse vax; the verb is derivative of the noun

Other words from wax

  • wax·a·ble, adjective
  • waxlike, adjective

Words Nearby wax

Other definitions for wax (2 of 3)

wax2
[ waks ]

verb (used without object),waxed; waxed or (Literary) wax·en; wax·ing.
  1. to increase in extent, quantity, intensity, power, etc.: Discord waxed at an alarming rate.

  2. (of the moon) to increase in the extent of its illuminated portion before the full moon.: Compare wane (def. 4).

  1. to grow or become: He waxed angry at the insinuation.

Origin of wax

2
First recorded before 900; Middle English waxen, wax(e), waxien, Old English weaxan, weacsan, weahsan; cognate with German wachsen; akin to waist

Other words for wax

Other definitions for wax (3 of 3)

wax3
[ waks ]

nounChiefly British.
  1. a fit of anger; rage.

Origin of wax

3
First recorded in 1850–55; perhaps special use of wax2

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use wax in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wax (1 of 3)

wax1

/ (wæks) /


noun
  1. 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

  2. any of various similar substances, such as paraffin wax or ozocerite, that have a mineral origin and consist largely of hydrocarbons

  1. short for beeswax, sealing wax

  2. physiol another name for cerumen

  3. a resinous preparation used by shoemakers to rub on thread

  4. bone wax a mixture of wax, oil, and carbolic acid applied to the cut surface of a bone to prevent bleeding

  5. any substance or object that is pliable or easily moulded: he was wax in the hands of the political bosses

  6. (modifier) made of or resembling wax: a wax figure

  7. 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
  1. (tr) to coat, polish, etc, with wax

  2. to remove (body hair) by means of a wax treatment

Origin of wax

1
Old English weax, related to Old Saxon, Old High German wahs, Old Norse vax

Derived forms of wax

  • waxer, noun
  • waxlike, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for wax (2 of 3)

wax2

/ (wæks) /


verb(intr)
  1. to become larger, more powerful, etc

  2. (of the moon) to show a gradually increasing portion of illuminated surface, between new moon and full moon: Compare wane (def. 1)

  1. archaic to become as specified: the time waxed late

Origin of wax

2
Old English weaxan; related to Old Frisian waxa, Old Saxon, Old High German wahsan, Gothic wahsjan

British Dictionary definitions for wax (3 of 3)

wax3

/ (wæks) /


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

Origin of wax

3
of obscure origin; perhaps from the phrase to wax angry

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

Scientific definitions for wax

wax

[ wăks ]


  1. 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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with wax

wax

In addition to the idiom beginning with wax

  • wax and wane

also see:

  • whole ball of wax

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.