ˈsirˌperˈd(y)ü, F sēērperdu̅e̅ noun
Etymology: French ( moulage à ) cire perdue, literally, lost wax casting
: a process used in metal casting that consists of making a wax model (as of a statuette), coating it with a refractory (as clay) to form a mold, heating until the wax melts and runs out of small holes left in the mold, and then pouring metal into the space left vacant