beeswax
beeswax Lexical Profile
beeswax Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A natural, yellowish to brownish malleable substance secreted by honeybees to construct their honeycombs, widely used after purification in candles, cosmetics, and furniture polish.
"The artisan rubbed a thin layer of warm beeswax over the oak table to protect the wood and give it a soft sheen."
Personal business, affairs, or concern (used informally, especially in phrases like 'none of your beeswax' or 'mind your own beeswax').
"When her younger brother asked how much money she had saved, she told him to mind his own beeswax."
• verb
To coat, polish, or treat a surface or material with beeswax.
"She carefully beeswaxed the linen thread before sewing the heavy leather panels together."
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in late Middle English as a compound of 'bee' (from Old English 'bēo') and 'wax' (from Old English 'weax'). The informal sense meaning 'business' emerged in 19th-century American English as a humorous, alliterative alteration of 'business', especially in the phrase 'none of your beeswax'.