wax

Definition of wax

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

Types:: show 18 types...; hide 18 types...; bayberry tallow, bayberry wax
a fragrant green wax obtained from the wax myrtle and used in making candles; 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; pisang wax
a wax obtained from the leaves of a plantain; paraffin scale, scale wax
partly refined paraffin wax; ski wax
wax used on the bottom of skis; beeswax
a yellow to brown wax secreted by honeybees to build honeycombs; Ghedda wax
wax from Indian and African bees; cerumen, earwax
a soft yellow wax secreted by glands in the ear canal; paraffin, paraffin wax
from crude petroleum; used for candles and for preservative or waterproof coatings; spermaceti
a white waxy substance from oil of the sperm whale; vegetable wax
a waxy substance obtained from plants (especially from the trunks of certain palms); lac wax, shellac wax
a hard wax separated from shellac by its insolubility in alcohol

Type 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)

cover with wax

"wax the car"

go up or advance

Types:: jump
increase suddenly and significantly; advance, gain
rise in rate or price

increase in phase

"the moon is waxing"