wax
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a solid, oily substance that melts easily, used to make candles or to make surfaces shiny.
n.a class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures; includes beeswax and paraffin.
Simple“The candle wax dripped onto the tablecloth and left a small mark.”
In context“The restorer applied a thin layer of microcrystalline wax to protect the antique mahogany from humidity changes.”
Synonymsparaffinbeeswax - 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a slang term for a vinyl record or music recorded on a disc.
n.a metonymic reference to phonograph records, derived from the historical use of wax cylinders in early recording technology.
Simple“The DJ played some rare soul tracks on wax that I had never heard before.”
In context“Collectors often argue that the warmth of a performance captured on wax cannot be replicated by digital formats.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to rub a surface with wax to make it smooth and shiny.
v.to treat or coat a surface with wax, typically for the purpose of protection or aesthetic enhancement.
Simple“He spent the whole afternoon waxing his car until it looked like new.”
In context“The maintenance crew waxes the gymnasium floor annually to ensure a consistent grip for the athletes.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to remove hair from the body by using a sticky substance that is pulled off quickly.
v.to perform depilation by applying a layer of wax and removing it along with the hair follicles.
Simple“She decided to get her legs waxed before going on her beach holiday.”
In context“The salon offers various treatments, including facial threading and waxing for sensitive skin.”
Synonymsdepilate - 05 C1 Advanced
v.to grow larger or stronger; often used to describe the moon as it gets fuller.
v.to increase in size, quantity, or intensity; specifically used of the moon between its new and full phases.
Simple“The moon will wax over the next week until it is completely full.”
In context“As the evening progressed, the speaker began to wax poetic about the beauty of the rugged coastline.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.made out of wax.
adj.composed of or resembling wax in texture or appearance.
Simple“The museum has several wax figures of famous historical leaders.”
In context“The artist created a series of wax models to test the lighting before casting the final bronze sculptures.”
Synonyms
From Middle English wax, from Old English weax, from Proto-Germanic wahsą, possibly from Proto-Indo-European woḱ-so-. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Woaks (“wax”), West Frisian waaks (“wax”), Dutch was (“wax”), German Wachs (“wax”), German Low German Wass (“wax”), Luxembourgish Wuess (“wax”), Vilamovian wāhs (“wax”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk voks (“wax”), Faroese vaks (“wax”), Icelandic, Swedish vax (“wax”); and with Lithuanian vaškas (“wax”), Proto-Slavic *voskъ (“wax”).
From Middle English waxen, from the noun (see above).
From Middle English waxen, from Old English weaxan (“to wax, grow, be fruitful, increase, become powerful, flourish”), from Proto-West Germanic wahsan, from Proto-Germanic wahsijaną (“to grow”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weg- (“to grow, increase”). Cognate with Scots wax (“to grow”), West Frisian waakse (“to greaten”), Low German wassen, Dutch wassen (“to greaten”), German wachsen (“to greaten”), Danish and Norwegian vokse (“to greaten”), Swedish växa (“to greaten”), Icelandic vaxa (“to greaten”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌷𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (wahsjan, “to grow”); and with Ancient Greek ἀέξειν (aéxein), Latin auxilium. It is in its turn cognate with augeo. See eke.
Uncertain; probably from phrases like to wax angry, wax wode, and similar (see Etymology 2, above).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.