wax
wax Lexical Profile
wax Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of various natural or synthetic substances (such as paraffin or earwax) that are pliable at room temperature and melt easily, used in polishing, sealing, and modeling.
"Apply a fresh coat of wax to the car to protect its paint from the elements."
A sticky, yellowish, moldable substance secreted by bees, used for building honeycombs.
"The candlemaker melted blocks of pure beeswax to craft his goods."
A phonograph record, originally referring to the wax cylinders used in early audio recording.
"The legendary jazz session was finally captured on wax in the winter of 1939."
• verb
To cover, treat, polish, or remove hair from a surface using wax.
"The custodian waxed the gymnasium floor until it shone like a mirror."
To gradually increase in magnitude, intensity, or extent (especially referring to the illuminated area of the moon).
"As the moon began to wax, the night sky grew noticeably brighter."
To pass into a specified state or mood, or to begin to speak or write in a particular manner.
"The retiring professor began to wax nostalgic about his early days at the university."
• adjective
Made of, covered with, or resembling wax.
"She admired the remarkably lifelike wax figure in the museum."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word 'wax' acts as a false friend to itself; it has two completely distinct etymological roots, one referring to the physical substance and the act of polishing, and the other meaning 'to grow or become' (as in 'wax and wane' or 'wax poetic').
• Rhymes for wax
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from two distinct Old English roots: 'weax' (the substance produced by bees, from Proto-Germanic *wahsam) and 'weaxan' (to grow or increase, from Proto-Germanic *wahsanan).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.