Reading Theme:
Wax Definition, Meanings & How to Use It (3 meaning)
Meaning 1：beeswax (wax)
wax
/wæks/
n. v.
A solid, yellowish substance made by bees, used to build their honeycombs. People use it to make things like candles.
beeswax
➕
/ˈbiːz.wæks/
n. v.
A natural, pliable substance secreted by honey bees, used primarily to construct the cells of their honeycomb. Valued by humans for making candles, polishes, and in cosmetics.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Old English 'weax', related to Dutch 'was' and German 'Wachs'.
💡 Mnemonic
Imagine a candle WAXing bigger as it burns, or the moon WAXing full. Both grow.
📖 Example
She prefers candles made from natural wax because they burn cleaner and smell like honey.
She prefers candles made from natural beeswax because they burn cleaner and smell like honey.
🔗 Collocations
beeswax candle – A candle made from the wax of bees.
ear wax – The yellowish substance produced in the ear canal.
sealing wax – A wax substance used historically to seal letters and documents.
🔄 Synonyms
beeswax (n.) – Specifically refers to the wax produced by honey bees.
🌱 Derivatives
waxy (adj.) – Having a texture or appearance similar to wax; pale and smooth.
📖 Cultural Story
From Old English 'weax'. Historically crucial for light (candles), document preservation (seals), and craft. The lunar sense comes from Old English 'weaxan' (to grow). Its decline in daily use parallels modern material changes.
Meaning 2：apply polish (wax)
wax
/wæks/
n. v.
To apply a layer of wax to a surface, like a floor or car, to clean, protect, and make it shiny.
apply polish
➕
/əˈplaɪ ˈpɒl.ɪʃ/
n. v.
To coat a surface with a special substance, often containing wax, in order to clean, protect, and impart a shiny finish. Commonly done to cars, floors, or skis.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
My father taught me how to wax the family car every Saturday morning to keep its paint looking new.
My father taught me how to apply polish to the family car every Saturday morning to keep its paint looking new.
🔗 Collocations
wax the floor – To apply wax to a floor to clean and shine it.
car wax – A product specifically designed for polishing and protecting a car's exterior.
wax on, wax off – A famous training phrase from the movie 'The Karate Kid', describing the motion of applying and removing wax.
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
strip (v.) – To remove a coating, such as wax, from a surface.
Meaning 3：increase in illumination (wax)
wax
/wæks/
n. v.
(Of the moon) To gradually show more of its bright side, getting bigger from a thin crescent to a full circle.
increase in illumination
➕
/ɪnˈkriːs ɪn ɪˌluː.mɪˈneɪ.ʃən/
n. v.
Describes the moon during the period when its visible illuminated area is increasing, moving from a new moon towards a full moon. The opposite of 'wane'.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
Astronomy enthusiasts love to observe the moon as it begins to wax, tracking its growth night by night.
Astronomy enthusiasts love to observe the moon as it begins to increase in illumination, tracking its growth night by night.
🔗 Collocations
waxing moon – The moon during the period when its visible surface is increasing.
wax and wane – A phrase meaning to increase and decrease in intensity, size, or strength, like the moon's phases.
wax poetic – To speak or write in an increasingly enthusiastic, eloquent, or lyrical manner. (Figurative use derived from the 'grow' sense).
🔄 Synonyms
Wordbook
Your data is saved in this browser