wax¹ / waks/ • n. a sticky yellowish moldable substance secreted by honeybees as the material of honeycomb; beeswax. ∎  a white translucent material obtained by bleaching and purifying this substance and used for such purposes as making candles, modeling, and as a basis of polishes. ∎  a similar viscous substance, typically a lipid or hydrocarbon. ∎  earwax. ∎ inf. used in reference to phonograph records: he didn't get on wax until 1959.• v. [tr.] 1. cover or treat (something) with wax or a similar substance, typically to polish or protect it: I washed and waxed the floor. ∎  remove unwanted hair from (a part of the body) by applying wax and then peeling off the wax and hairs together.2. inf. make a recording of: he waxed a series of tracks that emphasized his lead guitar work.DERIVATIVES: wax·er n.wax² • v. [intr.] (of the moon between new and full) have a progressively larger part of its visible surface illuminated, increasing its apparent size. ∎ poetic/lit. become larger or stronger: his anger waxed. ∎  begin to speak or write about something in the specified manner: they waxed lyrical about the old days.PHRASES: wax and wane undergo alternate increases and decreases: companies whose fortunes wax and wane with the economic cycle.wax³ • n. [usu. in sing.] Brit., inf., dated a fit of anger: she is in a wax about the delay to the wedding.

415. Wax

cerography

1. the art or process of writing or engraving on wax.

2. Rare. the art or process of making paintings with colors mixed with beeswax and fixed with heat; encaustic painting. —cerographist , n. —cero-graphic, cerographical , adj.

ceromancy

a form of divination involving dropping melted wax into water.

ceroplastics

the art of modeling with wax. —ceroplastic , adj.

wax Solid, insoluble substance of low melting point that is malleable and water-repellent. There are four types: animal, vegetable, mineral, and synthetic. The first two are simple lipids consisting of esters of fatty acids; mineral waxes include paraffin wax made from petroleum. Synthetic waxes are of diverse origins and include polyethenes. Waxes are used in the manufacture of lubricants, polishes, cosmetics, and candles, and to waterproof leather and coat paper.

wax1 substance produced by bees to make the honeycomb; beeswax melted down, etc. (as used for sealing, superseded by a compound of lac, etc.). OE. wæx, weax = OS., OHG. wahs (Du. was, G. wachs), ON. vax :- Gmc. *waχsam, cogn. with OSl. voskŭ; ult. f. IE. *weg- weave.
Hence wax vb., waxen (-EN2) XIV; repl. OE. wexen, *wiexen. waxwork modelling in wax. XVII.

wax2 grow OE.; become XII. OE. str. vb. weaxan = OS., OHG. wahsan (Du. wassen, G. wachsen), ON. vaxa, Goth. wahsjan (with -ja- in pres. stem):- Gmc. str. vb. f. *waχs- :- IE. *woks-, *aweks-, *auks-, *uks- repr. by Gr. aéxein, aúxein, auxánein increase, Skr. úkṣati grows, L. augēre increase.