Wax
/wæks/noun
A soft, moldable substance that becomes pliable when warm and hard when cool.
Did you know?In Old English, the verb *waxan* meant “to grow” or “increase,” and the noun *wax* for the candle-making substance is a different, much older word with a separate origin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*wahsą
“wax, the substance produced by bees”
Old English
English
weax
“wax, especially beeswax”
Old English
English
weaxan
“to grow, increase”
Middle English
English
wax
“wax; also to grow or become larger”
Modern English
English
wax
“the substance; and in fossilized uses, to grow or increase”