wax
wax — noun
1. a natural or artificial soft, solid material that melts when you heat it, used t
a natural or artificial soft, solid material that melts when you heat it, used to make candles, polish surfaces, and shape into objects such as models or seals
The art teacher melted blue wax and poured it into a star-shaped mold.
melted wax + pour into mold to shape objects
A thin layer of wax protects the wooden table from water rings and scratches.
layer of wax protects surface
Felix lit a beeswax candle and placed it in the middle of the dinner table.
Museum workers apply a special wax to old stone statues to prevent them from cracking.
文法句型
wax + noun (compound: wax candle, wax seal)
用法筆記
Uncountable in the general substance sense. Countable when referring to a specific type: 'many different waxes are used in cosmetics.'
常見錯誤
2. a sticky, pale-yellow or brown material that forms naturally inside a person's e
a sticky, pale-yellow or brown material that forms naturally inside a person's ear canal and helps keep the ear clean and free of dust or small insects
The doctor looked inside Tara's ear and found wax blocking the ear canal.
ear wax + blocks the ear canal
Ear wax helps protect the inner ear from dust and small insects.
Omar used ear drops to soften the wax in his ears before rinsing them out.
Gita visited the clinic because ear wax buildup made it hard for her to hear.
- earwax
same meaning; more common as a single compound word in medical writing
文法句型
ear wax / earwax
用法筆記
Often written as one word 'earwax' in medical contexts. The two-word form 'ear wax' is more common in everyday speech.
wax — verb
- waxpresent simple I / you / we / they
- waxes3rd person singular
- waxing-ing form
- waxedpast simple
1. to cover or rub a surface with wax in order to polish it, protect it, or make it
to cover or rub a surface with wax in order to polish it, protect it, or make it shine
Ava waxes the wooden floors of her house every spring until they gleam like mirrors.
wax + floor — regular maintenance for shine
Gabriel spent the whole afternoon waxing his car to protect the paint from winter rain.
Zayd waxed the old wooden desk until every scratch disappeared beneath the glossy shine.
Before the race, the skier waxed the bottom of his skis to slide faster.
- scuff
to make a surface dirty or scratched, the opposite of polishing
文法句型
wax + noun (surface or object)
用法筆記
The object is always the surface being treated, not the wax itself. 'Wax the car' (correct) vs 'wax the polish' (incorrect).
常見錯誤
2. to remove unwanted hairs from a part of the body by spreading warm sticky wax on
to remove unwanted hairs from a part of the body by spreading warm sticky wax onto the skin, placing a cloth strip on top, and then pulling the strip off quickly so the hairs come out with it
Alessia goes to the beauty salon every month to wax her legs and underarms.
wax + body part for hair removal
The beautician warmed the wax carefully before spreading it onto the client's arm.
Ife gasped when the beautician pulled the warm wax strip off her arm.
Some people prefer waxing over shaving because the hair takes longer to grow back.
文法句型
wax + body part
get + body part + waxed
用法筆記
Common in the 'get + object + past participle' pattern: 'I got my legs waxed.' The person performing the waxing is a beautician or aesthetician.
3. the moon is said to be waxing when the portion visible from Earth grows larger n
the moon is said to be waxing when the portion visible from Earth grows larger night by night, until it reaches a full circle
Each clear night the waxing moon appeared a little bigger in the sky.
the moon waxes — grows larger each night
During the waxing phase, the moon moves from a thin crescent toward a full circle.
Old farmers planted seeds when the moon began to wax, believing it helped crops grow.
Tara watched the waxing moon through her telescope every night for two full weeks.
- wane
the exact opposite — when the moon wanes, it appears smaller each night; a frequently paired antonym
文法句型
the moon waxes
wax + duration phrase
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used for the moon in modern English. The opposite is 'wane.' The pair 'wax and wane' is a common fixed expression describing cyclical growth and decline of anything (not just the moon).
常見錯誤
4. to begin speaking or writing in a particular descriptive style, such as with poe
to begin speaking or writing in a particular descriptive style, such as with poetic, eloquent, or emotional language
The film critic waxed lyrical about the director's latest movie, calling it a true masterpiece.
waxed lyrical — speak with enthusiasm
Grandfather waxed poetic whenever he talked about his childhood days in the old village.
The best man waxed eloquent about how the couple first met in college.
Alessia waxed lyrical about the street food during the entire walk back to the hotel.
- hold forth
to speak at length about a topic, often with strong opinions; slightly negative connotation of talking too much
- enthuse
to show great excitement or interest in something; more direct and less literary than wax lyrical
- rhapsodize
to speak or write with great enthusiasm; even more formal and literary than wax lyrical
文法句型
wax + adjective (lyrical, poetic, eloquent)
用法筆記
Always followed by an adjective describing the style of speaking or writing. The most common collocations are 'wax lyrical' and 'wax poetic.' 'Wax eloquent' is less frequent but also accepted. Rarely used in everyday casual conversation; belongs to more formal or literary registers. Contrast with sense 5 (BECOME GRADUALLY): sense 4 requires the subject to be speaking or writing, and the adjective describes HOW they speak; sense 5 describes BECOMING a quality or state, regardless of whether speech is involved.
常見錯誤
5. to gradually take on a particular quality or state, without necessarily involvin
to gradually take on a particular quality or state, without necessarily involving speech
As the discussion grew more heated, her voice waxed louder and more impatient.
wax + adjective — become gradually
The power of the storm waxed fiercer as it moved across the ocean.
waxed fiercer — gradual increase of intensity
The sea waxed turbulent as the storm approached from the east.
Her patience waxed thin while the meeting dragged past the two-hour mark without a break.
文法句型
wax + adjective (indignant, nostalgic, philosophical)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 4 (SPEAK STYLED) by this rule: sense 4 describes the STYLE of someone's speech or writing — the adjective tells you HOW they speak (lyrical, poetic, eloquent). Sense 5 describes entering a STATE or QUALITY — the adjective tells you WHAT someone or something BECOMES (louder, thinner, fiercer). If you can substitute 'speak in a __ manner,' it belongs to sense 4. If the meaning is simply 'become __' and speech is not required, it belongs to sense 5. Some adjectives like 'nostalgic' or 'philosophical' can fit either pattern depending on context and the subject. This sense is mostly found in formal or literary English.