noun

wax

waks

noun

A soft, oily solid substance, such as beeswax or paraffin, used for candles, polish, and other purposes.

"She melted the wax to make homemade candles."

verb

To coat or polish something with wax.

"He waxed the car until it gleamed."

To remove hair by applying and pulling off a layer of wax.

"She got her legs waxed before the trip."

Of the moon, to appear larger each night, building toward a full moon.

"The moon waxed steadily over the next two weeks."

To become or grow into a specified state, especially in the phrase "wax and wane."

"His enthusiasm for the project waxed and waned over the years."

How to Use Wax

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe soft material used in candles and polish, or the verb meaning to grow or increase (especially of the moon).

Common mistake

The verb sense "to wax" (grow, increase) is mostly kept alive today in the fixed phrase "wax and wane" — it sounds old-fashioned used alone.

Common pairings

wax and wane wax poetic wax the car candle wax

Word Forms

waxed past tense, waxed past tense, waxed past tense, wox past tense, wex past tense, waxen past tense, waxes plural, waxes plural, Waxes plural, waxes singular, waxes singular, waxes singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She melted the _____ to make homemade candles.

Etymology

From Old English weax, an ancient Germanic word for the substance made by bees.

Rhymes for wax

beeswax

See all rhymes for wax →