I. wax 1 /wæks/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: weax ]
1 . a solid substance made of fat or oil and used to make ↑ candle s , ↑ polish etc:
wax crayons
⇨ ↑ beeswax
2 . a natural sticky substance in your ears
II. wax 2 BrE AmE verb
[ Sense 1,5: Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: ⇨ ↑ wax 1 ]
[ Sense 2-4: Language: Old English ; Origin: weaxan 'to grow' ]
1 . [transitive] to rub a layer of wax into a floor, surface etc to protect it or make it shine
2 . wax sentimental/eloquent/lyrical etc to talk with extreme feeling, liking, or pleasure about something – used humorously
wax sentimental/eloquent/lyrical etc about
Journalists wax lyrical about the band.
3 . [intransitive] when the moon waxes, it seems to get bigger each night OPP wane
4 . wax and wane to increase and decrease over time:
Interest in the show has waxed and waned.
5 . [transitive] if you wax your legs, arms etc, you remove the hair from them using wax