wax

1 of 2

verb (1)

waxed; waxing; waxes

transitive verb

1

a

: to treat or rub with wax usually for polishing, stiffening, or reducing friction

b

: to apply wax to as a depilatory

getting her legs waxed

2

: to record on phonograph records

3

slang : to defeat decisively (as in an athletic contest)

wax

2 of 2

verb (2)

waxed; waxing; waxes

intransitive verb

1

a

: to increase in size, numbers, strength, prosperity, or intensity

b

: to grow in volume or duration

c

: to grow toward full development

2

: to increase in phase or intensity

—used chiefly of the moon, other satellites, and inferior planets

3

: to assume a (specified) characteristic, quality, or state : become

wax indignant

wax poetic

Synonyms of wax

Verb (1)

• grease
• oil

Verb (2)

• increase
• rise
• swell
• accelerate
• expand
• climb

Examples of wax in a Sentence

Verb (1)

waxing a surfboard

I can't believe I bet on a football team that ended up getting waxed 45-0

Verb (2)

the commitment of the young volunteers to the cause seems to wax and wane

waxed poetic whenever he wrote to his girlfriend

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

However, various secessionist movements waxed and waned during the period between independence and the Civil War. —Scott Spires Britannica Editors June 3, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026

When skis are waxed, tiny particles and chemicals – including PFAS – can become airborne. —Kathryn Crawford, The Conversation, 3 June 2026

So slow down, dive in, stop to smell the abundant flowers, and maybe wax just a little poetic on this inspiring jewel of an island. —Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 2 June 2026

On June 16, a thin waxing crescent moon joins the evening planet trio and sits about 3 degrees above and slightly to the left of Mercury and about 5 degrees to the right and slightly below Jupiter. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (2)

Middle English waxen "to grow, increase in size or quantity," going back to Old English weaxan (Class VII strong verb, probably originally Class VI), going back to Germanic *wahsan- (whence also Old Frisian waxa, wexa "to grow, increase," Old Saxon wahsan "to grow, prosper," Middle Dutch wassen "to grow," Old High German wahsan, Old Icelandic vaxa, Gothic wahsjan), going back to an o-grade derivative of the Indo-European verbal base *h₂u̯eks- "grow, increase," whence with e-grade Greek aéxein "to cause to grow, strengthen," aéxesthai "to increase, grow"; with zero grade *h₂uks- Greek aúxein, auxánein "to raise, cultivate, grow," aúxesthai "grow, become larger," Tocharian B auks- "sprout, grow up," Sanskrit úkṣant- "growing," Avestan uxšiieitī "(it) grows"

Note: Germanic *wahsan- was a Class VI strong verb, though the weak infinitive wahsjan in Gothic is evidence of an original causative formation *h₂u̯oks-éi̯e-. In Old English the verb has shifted to Class VII, excepting the Northumbrian past tense forms awōx, wōxon. In later Middle English waxen became a weak verb, though the strong participle waxen persisted into early Modern English, being the more common form (as against waxed) in the Authorized Version of the Bible (1611). — As has long been noted, Indo-European *h₂u̯eks- appears to be a suffixed form of the root *h₂eu̯g- "increase," with the vowel in a different position—so-called "floating ablaut" (German Schwebeablaut) (see eke entry 2).

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing wax

• ball of wax
• bikini wax
• carnauba wax
• Japan wax
• lost wax
• mineral wax
• montan wax
• sealing wax
• vegetable wax
• wax bean
• wax eloquent
• wax light
• wax lyrical
• wax moth
• wax museum
• wax myrtle
• wax palm
• wax paper

Rhymes for wax

• axe
• backs
• blacks
• cracks
• fax
• flax
• hacks
• jacks
• knacks
• lacks
• lakhs
• lax

Kids Definition

wax

1 of 3 noun

ˈwaks 

1

: a yellowish moldable substance produced by bees and used by them for making the honeycomb

called also beeswax

2

: any of various substances like the wax of bees

waxlike

ˈwak-ˌslīk 

adjective

wax

2 of 3 verb

: to treat or rub with wax

wax

3 of 3 verb

1

: to grow larger, stronger, fuller, or more numerous

2

: become sense 1

waxed angry as I heard the story

Etymology

Noun

Old English weax "wax produced by bees"

Verb

Old English weaxan "to increase"

Medical Definition

wax

noun

ˈwaks 

1

: a substance that is secreted by bees and is used by them for constructing the honeycomb, that is a dull yellow solid plastic when warm, and that is composed of a mixture of esters, cerotic acid, and hydrocarbons

called also beeswax

2

: any of various substances resembling beeswax: as

a

: any of numerous substances of plant or animal origin that differ from fats in being less greasy, harder, and more brittle and in containing principally compounds of high molecular weight (as fatty acids, alcohols, and saturated hydrocarbons)

b

: a pliable or liquid composition used especially in uniting surfaces, excluding air, making patterns or impressions, or producing a polished surface

dental waxes

3

: a waxy secretion

especially : earwax