WAX

Pronunciation (US):

• WAX (noun)
  The noun WAX has 1 sense:

1. any of various substances of either mineral origin or plant or animal origin; they are solid at normal temperatures and insoluble in water

  Familiarity information: WAX used as a noun is very rare.

• WAX (verb)
  The verb WAX has 3 senses:

1. cover with wax
2. go up or advance
3. increase in phase

  Familiarity information: WAX used as a verb is uncommon.

• WAX (noun)

Meaning:

Any of various substances of either mineral origin or plant or animal origin; they are solid at normal temperatures and insoluble in water

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("wax" is a kind of...):

lipid; lipide; lipoid (an oily organic compound insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents; essential structural component of living cells (along with proteins and carbohydrates))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "wax"):

bayberry tallow; bayberry wax (a fragrant green wax obtained from the wax myrtle and used in making candles)

lac wax; shellac wax (a hard wax separated from shellac by its insolubility in alcohol)

vegetable wax (a waxy substance obtained from plants (especially from the trunks of certain palms))

spermaceti (a white waxy substance from oil of the sperm whale)

paraffin; paraffin wax (from crude petroleum; used for candles and for preservative or waterproof coatings)

cerumen; earwax (a soft yellow wax secreted by glands in the ear canal)

beeswax (a yellow to brown wax secreted by honeybees to build honeycombs)

ski wax (wax used on the bottom of skis)

paraffin scale; scale wax (partly refined paraffin wax)

pisang wax (a wax obtained from the leaves of a plantain)

carnauba; carnauba wax (hard yellowish to brownish wax from leaves of the carnauba palm used especially in floor waxes and polishes)

candelilla wax (a hard brown wax that occurs as a coating on candelilla shrubs)

ceresin (a white wax extracted from ozokerite)

floor wax (a preparation containing wax and used to polish and preserve the finish of floors)

fig wax; gondang wax (a hard cream-colored wax obtained from a Javanese fig tree)

Japan tallow; Japan wax (a yellow wax obtained from sumac berries; used in polishes)

montan wax (a hard wax obtained from lignite)

• WAX (verb)

Meaning:

Cover with wax

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

wax the car

Hypernyms (to "wax" is one way to...):

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "wax"):

beeswax (cover with beeswax)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Meaning:

Go up or advance

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

mount; wax; climb; rise

Context example:

Sales were climbing after prices were lowered

Hypernyms (to "wax" is one way to...):

increase (become bigger or greater in amount)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "wax"):

jump (increase suddenly and significantly)

advance; gain (rise in rate or price)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Antonym:

wane (become smaller)

Meaning:

Increase in phase

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

full; wax

Context example:

the moon is waxing

Hypernyms (to "wax" is one way to...):

increase (become bigger or greater in amount)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

The moon will soon wax

Antonym:

wane (decrease in phase)