n.
Pronunciation: ' waks
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English weax; akin to Old High German wahs wax, Lithuanian va š kas
Date: before 12th century
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 the wax of bees: 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 solid substance (as ozokerite or paraffin wax) of mineral origin consisting usually of hydrocarbons of high molecular weight c : a pliable or liquid composition used especially in uniting surfaces, excluding air, making patterns or impressions, or producing a polished surface
3 : something likened to wax as soft, impressionable, or readily molded
4 : a waxy secretion especially : EARWAX
5 : a phonograph recording
– wax · like \ ' waks- ˌ l ī k \ adjective