Beeswax
/ˈbiːz.wæks/noun
A yellowish substance secreted by honeybees and used to build honeycomb and in products like candles and polishes.
Did you know?Beeswax has been prized since antiquity for sealing, embalming, and candle-making because it burns cleanly and was once considered a precious, almost sacred material.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
bēos weax
“bee wax; wax produced by bees”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*bīwō waxą
“wax of bees”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰey-
“to shine, gleam, or appear bright”
Middle English
ME
bees wexe
“wax from bees”
Modern English
English
beeswax
“the wax secreted by bees”