wax

noun

/wæks/

[uncountable]Idioms

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a solid substance that is made from beeswax or from various fats and oils and used for making candles, polish, models, etc. It becomes soft when it is heated.
- styling wax for the hair
- floor wax
- wax crayons
- wax polish
see also paraffin wax, sealing wax
Extra Examples
- The parcel was tied with string and sealed with wax.
- The sun through the window had melted the wax.
- Wax melts when subjected to heat.
a soft, sticky yellow-brown substance that is found in your ears

Word Originnoun Old English wæx, weax, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch was and German Wachs. The verb dates from late Middle English.

Idioms

the whole ball of wax

(North American English, informal) the whole thing; everything
- I panicked, I cried—the whole ball of wax.

wax

verb

/wæks/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they wax	/wæks/ /wæks/
he / she / it waxes	/ˈwæksɪz/ /ˈwæksɪz/
past simple waxed	/wækst/ /wækst/
past participle waxed	/wækst/ /wækst/
-ing form waxing	/ˈwæksɪŋ/ /ˈwæksɪŋ/

Idioms

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[transitive] wax something to polish something with wax
[transitive, usually passive] wax something to cover something with wax
- waxed paper
- a waxed jacket
[transitive, often passive] wax something to remove hair from a part of the body using wax
- to wax your legs/to have your legs waxed
[intransitive] (of the moon) to seem to get gradually bigger until its full form can be seen opposite waneTopics Spacec2
[intransitive] + lyrical, eloquent, sentimental, etc. (formal) to become lyrical, etc. when speaking or writing
- He waxed lyrical on the food at the new restaurant.
- He waxed eloquent about her talents as an actor.

Word Originverb senses 1 to 3 Old English wæx, weax, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch was and German Wachs. The verb dates from late Middle English. verb senses 4 to 5 Old English weaxan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wassen and German wachsen, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek auxanein and Latin augere ‘to increase’.

Idioms

wax and wane

(literary) to increase then decrease in strength, importance, etc. over a period of time
- Public interest in the issue has waxed and waned over the years.
More Like This Alliteration in idioms
Alliteration in idioms
- belt and braces
- black and blue
- born and bred
- chalk and cheese
- chop and change
- done and dusted
- down and dirty
- in dribs and drabs
- eat somebody out of house and home
- facts and figures
- fast and furious
- first and foremost
- forgive and forget
- hale and hearty
- hem and haw
- kith and kin
- mix and match
- part and parcel
- puff and pant
- to rack and ruin
- rant and rave
- risk life and limb
- short and sweet
- signed and sealed
- spic and span
- through thick and thin
- this and that
- top and tail
- tried and tested
- wax and wane