wax
/wæks/ (bre, ipa) · /wæks/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwaks/ (ame, mw)
wax — noun
1. a yellowish solid that goes soft and turns to liquid as it heats up, used to mak
a yellowish solid that goes soft and turns to liquid as it heats up, used to make things like candles, polish, and small models.
Alessia spilled hot wax from the candle onto the wooden table.
uncountable noun: spill / drip wax
The shoe repairer rubbed wax into the leather to keep the rain out.
rub / apply wax into a surface
Eli and his sister made small animals out of yellow wax for their school project.
Beekeepers in Hualien collect wax from the honeycomb and sell it to candle makers.
文法句型
uncountable noun
用法筆記
Uncountable; never used with 'a' or in the plural for this meaning. Often appears with 'hot', 'melted', 'soft', or with a material name (beeswax, candle wax, floor wax).
常見錯誤
2. the soft yellow-brown stuff that the body makes inside the ear to protect it.
the soft yellow-brown stuff that the body makes inside the ear to protect it.
The doctor said Defne had too much wax inside her left ear and could not hear well.
have wax in/inside one's ear
Hari cleaned the wax from his ears with a warm cloth after swimming in the lake.
clean / remove wax from one's ears
The nurse used a small tool to take out a hard lump of wax from Abigail's ear.
Babies often have a little wax in their ears, and this is completely normal.
文法句型
uncountable noun
earwax / ear wax
用法筆記
Often written as one word 'earwax', especially in health contexts. Distinguish from sense 1 by context: 'in/inside the ear' makes this reading clear.
wax — verb
- waxpresent simple I / you / we / they
- waxes3rd person singular
- waxing-ing form
- waxedpast simple
1. to spread a thin coat of wax on something so that it shines or keeps water out.
to spread a thin coat of wax on something so that it shines or keeps water out.
Every Sunday morning, Ignacio waxes his red car in the driveway.
wax + vehicle / surface (regular routine)
Surfers wax their boards before going into the cold sea so their feet do not slip.
wax + board / equipment (purpose: grip)
The old wooden floor was waxed last week and now looks shiny under the lights.
Yasmin showed her daughter how to wax leather boots to make them last longer.
文法句型
wax + object
wax something with something
用法筆記
Typical objects: cars, floors, furniture, surfboards, skis, leather goods — things with a hard outer surface. Often paired with 'polish' as a two-step action.
常見錯誤
2. to pull hair out of someone's skin by spreading warm wax over the area, letting
to pull hair out of someone's skin by spreading warm wax over the area, letting it cool, and then ripping it off in one quick movement.
Andrew goes to a salon to have his back waxed every two months.
passive: have / get one's [body part] waxed
Anong waxed her legs the night before her sister's beach wedding.
wax + body part (active)
The beautician waxed Yasmin's upper lip very gently so it would not turn red.
Many salons in Taipei wax both men's and women's eyebrows for around six hundred dollars.
- epilate
technical term used in beauty industry
文法句型
wax + body part / person
用法筆記
Often used in the passive with 'have' or 'get' (have your legs waxed). Object is a body part of the person being treated, not the wax itself.
3. to slowly become bigger, stronger, or brighter — most often said of the moon as
to slowly become bigger, stronger, or brighter — most often said of the moon as its lit side grows wider each night, or in writing about feelings and power that build up over time.
Tonight the moon is waxing and looks almost half full above the harbour.
the moon waxes (astronomical sense)
Public love for the singer Madonna has waxed and waned over four decades of music.
wax and wane (fixed pair)
As the storm waxed in strength, Jiwoo decided to close all the windows.
The young writer's confidence waxed steadily after her first novel won a national prize.
- wane
the matched opposite, almost always paired with 'wax'
文法句型
the moon waxes
wax and wane
用法筆記
Most natural in the fixed pair 'wax and wane' or with the moon as subject. Other uses sound literary; in normal speech, prefer 'grow' or 'increase'.
常見錯誤
4. to start speaking or writing in a particular emotional or fancy style, named by
to start speaking or writing in a particular emotional or fancy style, named by the adjective that follows — as in 'wax lyrical' (speak about something with strong praise).
Whenever Theo opens his old photo album, he waxes nostalgic about his school days.
wax nostalgic about something
The food critic waxed lyrical about the small noodle shop near the train station.
wax lyrical about something (most common pattern)
At the wedding, Darius waxed poetic about how he first met his bride on a bus.
After two glasses of wine, Uncle Bruno always waxes philosophical about love and money.
- wax lyrical
the most common fixed phrase using this sense
文法句型
wax + adjective (lyrical, poetic, eloquent, nostalgic)
用法筆記
Almost always followed by one of a small set of adjectives: lyrical, poetic, eloquent, nostalgic, philosophical. Often slightly humorous when describing someone going on at length.