wax
/wæks/ (bre, ipa) · /wæks/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwaks/ (ame, mw)
wax — 名詞
1. a yellowish solid that goes soft and turns to liquid as it heats up, used to mak
蠟
受熱會軟化的固體，常用來做蠟燭和亮光劑
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.
Alessia 把蠟燭的熱蠟濺到木桌上。
uncountable noun: spill / drip wax
The shoe repairer rubbed wax into the leather to keep the rain out.
鞋匠把蠟塗進皮革裡，讓鞋子防水。
rub / apply wax into a surface
Eli and his sister made small animals out of yellow wax for their school project.
Eli 和妹妹用黃色的蠟做了一些小動物當作學校作業。
Beekeepers in Hualien collect wax from the honeycomb and sell it to candle makers.
花蓮的養蜂人從蜂巢採集蜂蠟，再賣給做蠟燭的師傅。
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.
耳屎；耳垢
耳朵內側產生的黃褐色軟質物質
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.
醫生說 Defne 左耳裡的耳屎太多，所以聽不清楚。
have wax in/inside one's ear
Hari cleaned the wax from his ears with a warm cloth after swimming in the lake.
Hari 在湖裡游完泳後，用熱毛巾把耳朵裡的耳垢清掉。
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.
護士用一個小工具把 Abigail 耳朵裡硬掉的耳屎取出來。
Babies often have a little wax in their ears, and this is completely normal.
嬰兒耳朵裡常常會有一點耳垢，這是完全正常的。
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 — 動詞
- 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.
打蠟；上蠟
在硬質表面塗一層薄蠟以增亮或防水
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.
每個星期天早上，Ignacio 都會在車道上幫他的紅車打蠟。
wax + vehicle / surface (regular routine)
Surfers wax their boards before going into the cold sea so their feet do not slip.
衝浪者在下冷海前會先幫衝浪板上蠟，這樣腳才不會打滑。
wax + board / equipment (purpose: grip)
The old wooden floor was waxed last week and now looks shiny under the lights.
上週這片舊木地板被打過蠟，現在燈光下看起來亮晶晶的。
Yasmin showed her daughter how to wax leather boots to make them last longer.
Yasmin 教女兒怎麼幫皮靴上蠟，讓鞋子穿久一點。
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
蜜蠟除毛
用溫蠟敷在皮膚上再撕下以拔除毛髮
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.
Andrew 每兩個月會去沙龍做一次背部蜜蠟除毛。
passive: have / get one's [body part] waxed
Anong waxed her legs the night before her sister's beach wedding.
Anong 在妹妹海邊婚禮的前一晚做了腿部除毛。
wax + body part (active)
The beautician waxed Yasmin's upper lip very gently so it would not turn red.
美容師很輕柔地幫 Yasmin 的上唇除毛，避免皮膚發紅。
Many salons in Taipei wax both men's and women's eyebrows for around six hundred dollars.
台北許多沙龍幫男生和女生修眉除毛，價格大約六百元。
- 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
漸增；漸盈
尺寸、力量或月相逐漸變大或變亮
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.
今晚月亮正在漸盈，在港口上方看起來幾乎半圓。
the moon waxes (astronomical sense)
Public love for the singer Madonna has waxed and waned over four decades of music.
四十年來，大眾對歌手 Madonna 的喜愛時而高漲、時而消退。
wax and wane (fixed pair)
As the storm waxed in strength, Jiwoo decided to close all the windows.
風暴的威力逐漸增強時，Jiwoo 決定把所有窗戶都關上。
The young writer's confidence waxed steadily after her first novel won a national prize.
這位年輕作家的處女作贏得全國大獎後，自信心便日漸增強。
- 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
侃侃而談
後接形容詞，表示以那種口吻滔滔說起
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.
Theo 每次翻開舊相簿，就會懷舊地談起學生時代的點滴。
wax nostalgic about something
The food critic waxed lyrical about the small noodle shop near the train station.
那位美食評論家對火車站附近那家小麵店讚不絕口。
wax lyrical about something (most common pattern)
At the wedding, Darius waxed poetic about how he first met his bride on a bus.
婚禮上，Darius 用詩意的口吻說起他怎麼在公車上初遇新娘。
After two glasses of wine, Uncle Bruno always waxes philosophical about love and money.
喝過兩杯紅酒後，Bruno 叔叔總會大談他對愛情和金錢的哲學見解。
- 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.