A thick, viscid, tenacious substance, collected by bees, or excreted from their bodies, and employed in the construction of their cells; usually called bees wax. Its native color is yellow, but it is bleached for candles.

A thick tenacious substance excreted in the ear.

A substance secreted by certain plants, forming a silvery powder on the leaves and fruit, as in the wax-palm and wax-myrtle.

A substance found on the hinder legs of bees, which is supposed to be their food.

A substance used in sealing letters; called sealing-wax, or Spanish wax. This is a composition of gum-lacca and resin, colored with some pigment.

A thick substance used by shoemakers for rubbing their thread.

To smear or rub with wax; as, to wax, a thread or a table.

pret. waxed.; pp. waxed or waxen.

To increase in size; to grow; to become larger; as the waxing and the waning moon.

To pass from one state to another; to become; as, to wax strong; to wax warm or cold; to wax feeble; to wax hot; to wax old; to wax worse and worse.