CEFR B1
wax
noun
Meaning
A sticky, yellowish substance secreted by bees to build their honeycomb, or a similar substance used to polish or seal things.
Examples
- Bees produce wax to construct their hives.
- The furniture had a beautiful sheen thanks to the wax polish.
Synonyms: polish, beeswax, paraffin, cerumen
Phrases for wax
Natural phrases and collocations with wax. See examples, avoid awkward combinations, and learn how to use wax in context. A sticky, yellowish substance secreted by bees to build their honeycomb, or a similar substance used to polish
Common patterns
Use these patterns to build complete sentences, not just isolated word combinations.
- wax lyrical (idiom): To talk or write with great enthusiasm and detail, often excessively.
He started waxing lyrical about his favorite football team for hours.
- wax and wane (idiom): To increase and decrease in strength or extent periodically.
The moon waxes and wanes in a regular cycle.
- wax over (prepositional phrase): To cover with wax.
The carpenter decided to wax over the wooden table.
Natural collocations
These combinations are useful as ready-made chunks. The examples show how each one works in context.
- beeswax
The candles were made of pure beeswax.
- shoe wax
He used shoe wax to shine his boots.
- ear wax
Too much ear wax can cause hearing problems.
- wax paper
She wrapped the sandwich in wax paper.