Definitions for: Wax


[n] any of various substances of either mineral origin or plant or animal origin; they are solid at normal temperatures and insoluble in water
[v] go up or advance; "Sales were climbing after prices were lowered"
[v] increase in phase; "the moon is waxing"
[v] cover with wax; "wax the car"



Webster (1913) Definition: Wax, v. i. [imp. Waxed; p. p. Waxed, and Obs. or
Poetic Waxen; p. pr. & vb. n. Waxing.] [AS. weaxan; akin
to OFries. waxa, D. wassen, OS. & OHG. wahsan, G. wachsen,
Icel. vaxa, Sw. v["a]xa, Dan. voxe, Goth. wahsjan, Gr. ? to
increase, Skr. waksh, uksh, to grow. ???. Cf. Waist.]
1. To increase in size; to grow bigger; to become larger or
fuller; -- opposed to wane.

The waxing and the waning of the moon. --Hakewill.

Truth's treasures . . . never shall wax ne wane.
--P. Plowman.

2. To pass from one state to another; to become; to grow; as,
to wax strong; to wax warmer or colder; to wax feeble; to
wax old; to wax worse and worse.

Your clothes are not waxen old upon you. --Deut.
xxix. 5.

Where young Adonis oft reposes, Waxing well of his
deep wound. --Milton.

Waxing kernels (Med.), small tumors formed by the
enlargement of the lymphatic glands, especially in the
groins of children; -- popularly so called, because
supposed to be caused by growth of the body. --Dunglison.


Wax, n. [AS. weax; akin to OFries. wax, D. was, G. wachs,
OHG. wahs, Icel. & Sw. vax, Dan. vox, Lith. vaszkas, Russ.
vosk'.]
1. A fatty, solid substance, produced by bees, and employed
by them in the construction of their comb; -- usually
called beeswax. It is first excreted, from a row of
pouches along their sides, in the form of scales, which,
being masticated and mixed with saliva, become whitened
and tenacious. Its natural color is pale or dull yellow.

Note: Beeswax consists essentially of cerotic acid
(constituting the more soluble part) and of myricyl
palmitate (constituting the less soluble part).

2. Hence, any substance resembling beeswax in consistency or
appearance. Specifically:
(a) (Physiol.) Cerumen, or earwax. See Cerumen.
(b) A waxlike composition used for uniting surfaces, for
excluding air, and for other purposes; as, sealing
wax, grafting wax, etching wax, etc.
(c) A waxlike composition used by shoemakers for rubbing
their thread.
(d) (Zo["o]l.) A substance similar to beeswax, secreted by
several species of scale insects, as the Chinese wax.
See Wax insect, below.
(e) (Bot.) A waxlike product secreted by certain plants.
See Vegetable wax, under Vegetable.
(f) (Min.) A substance, somewhat resembling wax, found in
connection with certain deposits of rock salt and
coal; -- called also mineral wax, and ozocerite.
(g) Thick sirup made by boiling down the sap of the sugar
maple, and then cooling. [Local U. S.]

Japanese wax, a waxlike substance made in Japan from the
berries of certain species of Rhus, esp. {R.
succedanea}.

Mineral wax. (Min.) See Wax, 2
(f), above.

Wax cloth. See Waxed cloth, under Waxed.

Wax end. See Waxed end, under Waxed.

Wax flower, a flower made of, or resembling, wax.

Wax insect (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of scale
insects belonging to the family Coccid[ae], which
secrete from their bodies a waxlike substance, especially
the Chinese wax insect (Coccus Sinensis) from which a
large amount of the commercial Chinese wax is obtained.
Called also pela.

Wax light, a candle or taper of wax.

Wax moth (Zo["o]l.), a pyralid moth (Galleria cereana)
whose larv[ae] feed upon honeycomb, and construct silken
galleries among the fragments. The moth has dusky gray
wings streaked with brown near the outer edge. The larva
is yellowish white with brownish dots. Called also {bee
moth}.

Wax myrtle. (Bot.) See Bayberry.

Wax painting, a kind of painting practiced by the ancients,
under the name of encaustic. The pigments were ground with
wax, and diluted. After being applied, the wax was melted
with hot irons and the color thus fixed.

Wax palm. (Bot.)
(a) A species of palm (Ceroxylon Andicola) native of the
Andes, the stem of which is covered with a secretion,
consisting of two thirds resin and one third wax,
which, when melted with a third of fat, makes
excellent candles.
(b) A Brazilian tree (Copernicia cerifera) the young
leaves of which are covered with a useful waxy
secretion.

Wax paper, paper prepared with a coating of white wax and
other ingredients.

Wax plant (Bot.), a name given to several plants, as:
(a) The Indian pipe (see under Indian).
(b) The Hoya carnosa, a climbing plant with polished,
fleshy leaves.
(c) Certain species of Begonia with similar foliage.

Wax tree (Bot.)
(a) A tree or shrub (Ligustrum lucidum) of China, on
which certain insects make a thick deposit of a
substance resembling white wax.
(b) A kind of sumac (Rhus succedanea) of Japan, the
berries of which yield a sort of wax.
(c) A rubiaceous tree (El[ae]agia utilis) of New
Grenada, called by the inhabitants ``arbol del cera.''


Wax yellow, a dull yellow, resembling the natural color of
beeswax.


Wax, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waxed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Waxing.]
To smear or rub with wax; to treat with wax; as, to wax a
thread or a table.

Waxed cloth, cloth covered with a coating of wax, used as a
cover, of tables and for other purposes; -- called also
wax cloth.

Waxed end, a thread pointed with a bristle and covered with
shoemaker's wax, used in sewing leather, as for boots,
shoes, and the like; -- called also wax end. --Brockett.

Synonyms: climb, full, mount, rise

Antonyms: wane

See Also: advance, bayberry tallow, bayberry wax, beeswax, beeswax, candelilla wax, carnauba, carnauba wax, ceresin, cerumen, cover, earwax, fig wax, floor wax, gain, gondang wax, increase, Japan tallow, Japan wax, jump, lac wax, lipid, lipide, lipoid, montan wax, paraffin, paraffin scale, paraffin wax, pisang wax, scale wax, shellac wax, ski wax, spermaceti, vegetable wax

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