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wax

wax

187 2.8
A solid natural material that bees make, used to make candles and polish things
  • noun
  • /wæks/
translation icon : cera
  • After the party, there was a lot of melted wax on the table.
  • a wax figure
  • a wax museum
  • a wax seal

So this is the sound of a wax candle being lit.

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Examples

  • I mean, the wax has melted onto the candy.

  • Some services promise to clear ear wax but should be avoided.

  • Once we even did a wax museum, which was a lot of fun for the students.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Get the wax out of your ears.

  • How about a wash and wax?

  • So this is the sound of a wax candle being lit.

  • That is the biggest build up of candle wax I've ever seen.

  • I do wax rubbings of all the tombstones.

  • The artist used colorful wax to create a vibrant sculpture.

  • The children enjoyed making candles from wax at the workshop.

Idioms

2 7.1

All the parts and activities of a project or situation

as close as wax
  • Archaic
9.9

People who are very close and share secrets and feelings

to wax the dolphin
  • Offensive
9.9

To touch your own penis to get sexual pleasure

Compounds

6 2.5

A thin paper covered in wax used to wrap or line food

3 3.7

A life-size statue made of wax that looks like a real person

1 2.5

A waxy liquid used to make floors shine and last longer

1 4.3

White solid made from oil in the ground used to make candles and preserve or coat things

1 7.7

A soft material warmed to close letters that breaks when opened

ski wax
  • UK
1 2.9

A substance you put on the bottom of skis to help them glide on snow

1 3.1

A yellow bean with edible pods eaten as a vegetable

1 7.9

A shrub or small tree with fragrant leaves and small berries with a shiny covering

8.9

A green, fragrant material made from the bayberry plant used to make candles

candelilla wax
  • Specialized
9.9

A hard plant wax from the leaves of a shrub used in cosmetics, food, and polishes

A hard yellowish wax from a palm used to make surfaces shiny and protect them

earth wax
  • Specialized
9.9

A natural firm material found near oil that is used to make candles

A hot sticky product put on the skin and pulled off to remove hair

ader wax
  • Specialized
9.9

A natural waxy mineral found with oil used to make candles and other wax products

fig wax
  • UK
9.9

A hard pale wax from fig tree leaves in Java used in polishes and cosmetics

A new layer of wax put on a surface to make it shine

lac wax
  • Specialized
9.9

A hard natural wax made when shellac is treated with alcohol

mineral wax
  • Specialized
6.3

A waxy substance found with oil underground and used to make candles

montan wax
  • Specialized
9.6

A hard wax from a type of coal used in polishes and industrial products

ghedda wax
  • Indian
9.9

A natural material that Indian and African bees make and people use for candles and cosmetics

gondang wax
  • Specialized
9.9

A hard cream-colored wax from a fig tree in Java that people use in cosmetics and polishes

Japan wax
  • Archaic
9.9

A yellowish wax made from sumac berries and used for candles and polish

pisang wax
  • Specialized
9.9

A natural wax from plantain leaves that gives a shiny, water resistant coating

scale wax
  • Specialized
9.7

Partly refined paraffin wax made when oil is processed and used in industry

shellac wax
  • Specialized
8.9

A hard natural wax removed from shellac and used in polishes and cosmetics

A firm, oily material from plants used in polishes and cosmetics

A small stick of colored wax used for drawing or coloring by children

wax insect
  • Specialized
9.3

An insect that makes a wax layer on its body to protect itself

6.2

A stick of wax with a wick that gives light

A small garden plant with shiny leaves and groups of red, pink or white flowers

A tropical plant with bright, bell-shaped flowers like a hibiscus

8.3

A moth whose young caterpillars eat the honeycomb in beehives and damage bee colonies

wax-chandler
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who makes and sells wax candles

7.9

A tall palm tree from South America whose trunk gives wax for candles and polish

6.7

A climbing plant with thick, shiny leaves and clusters of pink and white star-shaped flowers

wax-myrtle family
  • Specialized
9.3

A group of flowering shrubs and small trees with scented leaves often in wetlands

A small evergreen tree with shiny pointed leaves and long upright flower clusters

How Hard

wax
187 2.8
beeswax
15 3.3

Surface Forms

wax singular
waxes plural

Etymology

Wax for the substance comes from Old English weax, and it named the soft material bees make to build their honeycomb. It does not mix with water, which is why we still use wax for candles, polish, and other things that need a protective or shiny cover.