wax

1. 1. Any of various natural, oily or greasy heat-sensitive substances, consisting of hydrocarbons or esters of fatty acids that are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents.
   2. Beeswax.
   3. Cerumen.
2. 1. A solid plastic or pliable liquid substance, such as ozocerite or paraffin, originating from petroleum and found in rock layers and used in paper coating, as insulation, in crayons, and often in medicinal preparations.
   2. A preparation containing wax used for polishing floors and other surfaces.
3. A resinous mixture used by shoemakers to rub on thread.
4. A phonograph record.
5. Something suggestive of wax in being impressionable or readily molded.

Made of wax: a wax candle.

1. To coat, treat, or polish with wax.
2. Informal. To make a phonograph record of.

on wax

1. In the medium of phonograph recordings.

[Middle English, from Old English weax.]

1. To increase gradually in size, number, strength, or intensity.
2. To show a progressively larger illuminated area, as the moon does in passing from new to full.
3. To grow or become as specified: “could afford … to wax sentimental over their heritage” (John Simon).

[Middle English waxen, from Old English weaxan.]

Any of various solid or semisolid substances. There are two main types. Mineral waxes are mixtures of hydrocarbons with high molecular weights. Paraffin wax, obtained from petroleum, is an example. Waxes secreted by plants or animals are mainly esters of fatty acids and usually have a protective function.

Esters of fatty acids with long-chain monohydric alcohols (fats are esters of fatty acids with glycerol), e.g. beeswax, an ester of palmitic acid with myricyl alcohol; spermaceti, palmitic acid with cetyl alcohol. Animal waxes are often esters of the steroid alcohol cholesterol.

verb

1. To make or become greater or larger: aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, build, build up, burgeon, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, grow, increase, magnify, mount, multiply, proliferate, rise, run up, snowball, soar, swell, upsurge. Informal beef up. See increase/decrease.
2. To come to be: become, come, get, grow, turn (out). See change/persist.

Idioms beginning with wax:
wax and wane

In addition to the idiom beginning with wax, also see whole ball of wax.

Definition: become large, fuller
Antonyms: shrink

One of several esters of fatty acids with higher alcohols, usually monohydric alcohols. Dental waxes are combinations of various types of waxes compounded to provide the desired physical properties.

For more information on wax, visit Britannica.com.

A thermoplastic solid material obtained from vegetable, mineral, and animal matter; soluble in organic solvents; used in paste or liquid form as a protective coating or polish on wood and metal surfaces and as an additive in paints.

Covering with wax.

• poultry w. — a technique for removing final hairs and feathers from incompletely plucked birds. They are dipped in hot wax which is removed when it is set.
• teat w. — a phenomenon in mares which indicates that foaling is imminent. The teats which are already distended suddenly exude a soft waxy covering, probably derived from the thick first colostrum, from the teat orifice. Not a completely reliable guide to an imminent foaling.

For other uses, see Wax (disambiguation).

Wax candle

Wax refers to beeswax or another substance with similar properties. The traditional meaning, beeswax, refers to a substance secreted by bees and used by them in constructing their honeycombs. The term has come to refer more generally to a class of substances with properties similar to beeswax, in respect of

• plastic (malleable) at normal ambient temperatures
• a melting point above approximately 45 °C (113 °F) (which differentiates waxes from fats and oils)
• a relatively low viscosity when melted (unlike many plastics)
• insoluble in water
• hydrophobic

Waxes may be natural secretions of plants or animals, artificially produced by purification from natural petroleum or completely synthetic. In addition to beeswax, carnauba (a plant epicuticular wax) and paraffin (a petroleum wax) are commonly encountered waxes which occur naturally. Earwax is an oily substance found in the human ear. Some artificial materials such as silicone wax that exhibit similar properties are also described as wax or waxy.

Commercial honeycomb foundation, made by pressing beeswax between patterned metal rollers.

Contents 1 Wax chemistry 2 Uses of wax 3 Wax types 3.1 Animal waxes 3.2 Vegetable waxes 3.3 Mineral waxes 3.4 Petroleum waxes 3.5 Synthetic waxes 4 References 5 External links

Wax chemistry

Chemically, a wax is a type of lipid that may contain a wide variety of long-chain alkanes, esters, polyesters and hydroxy esters of long-chain primary alcohols and fatty acids. They are usually distinguished from fats by the lack of triglyceride esters of glycerin (propan-1,2,3-triol) and three fatty acids. In addition to the esters that contribute to the high melting point and hardness of carnauba wax, the epicuticular waxes of plants are mixtures of substituted long-chain aliphatic hydrocarbons, containing alkanes, fatty acids, primary and secondary alcohols, diols, ketones, aldehydes.^[1] Paraffin waxes are hydrocarbons, mixtures of alkanes usually in a homologous series of chain lengths.

Uses of wax

Waxes are used to make wax paper, impregnating and coating paper and card to waterproof it or make it resistant to staining, or to modify its surface properties. Waxes are also used in shoe polishes, wood polishes, and automotive polishes, as mold release agents in mold making, as a coating for many cheeses, and to waterproof leather and fabric. Wax has been used since antiquity as a temporary, removable model in lost-wax casting of gold, silver and other materials.

Waxes and hard fats such as tallow have long been use to make candles, used for lighting and decoration in a number of religious traditions, including Christianity and Hinduism, as well as various neo-pagan religions such as Wicca. The Emperor Constantine is reported to have called for the use of candles during an Easter service in the 4th century AD. Candles continue to be used today by Christians^[2] in worship as symbols of the light of Christ. In the Roman Catholic Church, beeswax candles are used, since a colony of bees is a celibate sisterhood with a single mother.^[3] Candles of wax or tallow took the place of lamps used in various Jewish rituals such as the Sabbath lights; in the Havdalah ceremony; and the Hanukkah lights. A synagogue had to be well lit, and pious folk used to donate candles for the purpose. On the basis of the verse: 'The soul of man is a candle of the Lord' a special candle which burns twenty-four hours is kindled on the anniversary of the death of a near relative (Yahrzeit) and often two lighted candles are placed at the head of the corpse awaiting burial.^[4]. Candles have also played a role in pagan religions and in modern humanist festivals. Virtually all rituals in Wicca include the lighting of altar candles, where two main candles are often used to represent the God and the Goddess; and the lighting of candles is a central theme at the Wiccan holiday of Brigid or Imbolc, which is also known as Candlemas or the Feast of the Waxing Light. Wax candles were also used in secular life for lighting, signals in warfare, safety in travel and for time keeping, and are still in popular use today to provide soft lighting for meals and other social activities.

Wax-decorated Easter eggs as made in the Czech Republic

Wax with colored pigments added has been used as a medium in encaustic painting, and is used today in the manufacture of crayons and colored pencils. Carbon paper, used for making duplicate typewritten documents was coated with carbon black suspended in wax, typically montan wax, but has largely been superseded by photocopiers and computer printers. In another context, lipstick and mascara are blends of various fats and waxes colored with pigments, and both beeswax and lanolin are used in other cosmetics. Also, the sports of surfing, skiing, snowboarding and skateboarding often use wax to enhance the performance. Beeswax or coloured synthetic wax is used to decorate Easter eggs in the Czech Republic. Paraffin wax is used in making chocolate covered bon-bons. Wax is also used in wax bullets, which are used as simulation aids.

Wax types

Animal waxes

• Beeswax - produced by honey bees
• Chinese wax - produced by the scale insect Ceroplastes ceriferus
• Shellac wax - from the lac insect Kerria lacca
• Spermaceti - from the head cavities and blubber of the sperm whale
• Lanolin (wool wax) - from the sebaceous glands of sheep
• Ear wax - found in the human ear.

Vegetable waxes

• Bayberry wax - from the surface wax of the fruits of the bayberry shrub, Myrica faya
• Candelilla wax - from the Mexican shrubs Euphorbia cerifera and Euphorbia antisyphilitica
• Carnauba wax - from the leaves of the Carnauba palm, Copernica cerifera
• Castor wax - catalytically hydrogenated castor oil
• Esparto wax - a byproduct of making paper from esparto grass, (Macrochloa tenacissima)
• Japan wax - a vegetable triglyceride (not a true wax), from the berries of Rhus and Toxicodendron species
• Jojoba oil - a replacement for spermaceti, jojoba is pressed from the seeds of the jojoba bush, Simmondsia chinensis
• Ouricury wax - from the Brazilian feather palm, Syagrus coronata.
• Rice bran wax - obtained from rice bran (Oryza sativa)
• Soy wax - from soybean oil

Mineral waxes

• Ceresin waxes
• Montan wax - extracted from lignite and brown coal
• Ozocerite - found in lignite beds
• Peat waxes

Petroleum waxes

• Paraffin wax - made of long-chain alkane hydrocarbons
• Microcrystalline wax - with very fine crystalline structure

Synthetic waxes

• Polyethylene waxes - based on polyethylene
• Fischer-Tropsch waxes
• Chemically modified waxes - usually esterified or saponified
• substituted amide waxes
• polymerized α-olefins

References

1. ^ EA Baker (1982) Chemistry and morphology of plant epicuticular waxes. In The Plant Cuticle. Ed. DF Cutler, KL Alvin, CE Price. Academic Press. ISBN 0 12 199920 3
2. ^ The Hive and the Honey Bee, ed. Dadant & sons, revised 1975, p. 540
3. ^ Butler, C.G. (1954) The world of the honeybee. Collins, New Naturalist series, No. 29
4. ^ Jacobs, Louis (1995) "The Jewish Religion - a Companion" Oxford University Press

External links

• Waxes
• www.microcrystallinewax.net, resource for microcrystalline wax research

v • d • e E numbers Colours (E100–199) • Preservatives (E200–299) • Antioxidants & Acidity regulators (E300–399) • Thickeners, stabilisers & emulsifiers (E400–499) • pH regulators & anti-caking agents (E500–599) • Flavour enhancers (E600–699) • Miscellaneous (E900–999) • Additional chemicals (E1100–1599) Waxes (E900–909) • Synthetic glazes (E910–919) • Improving agents (E920–929) • Packaging gases (E930–949) • Sweeteners (E950–969) • Foaming agents (E990–999) Dimethyl polysiloxane (E900) • Beeswax (E901) • Candelilla wax (E902) • Carnauba wax (E903) • Shellac (E904) • Paraffins (E905) • Mineral oil (E905a) • Vaseline (E905b) • Microcrystalline wax (E905c) • Gum benzoic (E906) • Crystalline wax (E907) • Rice bran wax (E908)

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - voks, bivoks, lak, beg
v. tr. - vokse, vokse ind, smøre med voks, bestryge, bone
adj. - voks-

idioms:

• wax in someone's hands    som voks i en persons hænder
• wax paper    vokspapir

2.
v. intr. - i tiltagende (om månen), stige, vokse

idioms:

• wax and wane    i tiltagende og i aftagende

3.
n. - raseri, anfald

Nederlands (Dutch)
in de was zetten, wassen, toenemen, was, boenwas

Français (French)
1.
n. - (gén) cire, (Chim, Tech) paraffine, cérumen
v. tr. - cirer, épiler, faire un enregistrement de
adj. - en cire

idioms:

• wax in someone's hands    (être) une vraie pâte molle entre les mains de qn
• wax paper    papier paraffiné

2.
v. intr. - croître (la lune)

idioms:

• wax and wane    (avoir) des hauts et des bas

3.
n. - coup de colère

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Wachs, Ohrenschmalz
v. - wachsen, bohnern
adj. - Wachs-, wächsern

idioms:

• wax in someone's hands    weich wie Wachs sein
• wax paper    Wachspapier

2.
v. - zunehmen, werden

idioms:

• wax and wane    zu- und abnehmen

3.
n. - (ugs.) Wutanfall

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - κερώνω, γυαλίζω το παρκέ, παρκετάρω, μεγαλώνω, αυξάνομαι, γεμίζω
n. - κηρός, κερί
adj. - κέρινος

idioms:

• wax and wane    αυξομειώνομαι
• wax in someone's hands    που συμμορφώνεται ή πείθεται με ιδιαίτερη ευκολία από κάποιον
• wax paper    λαδόχαρτο, κερόχαρτο

Italiano (Italian)
incerare, cera, lucido, di cera

idioms:

• wax and wane    con alti e bassi
• wax in his/her hands    facilmente influenzabile
• wax paper    carta oleata

Português (Portuguese)
v. - encerar
n. - cera (f)
adj. - de cera

idioms:

• wax and wane    crescer e decrescer
• wax in his/her hands    pessoa maleável
• wax paper    papel encerado (m)

Русский (Russian)
воск, парафин, ушная сера, мазь, восковая фигура, восковая свеча, сургуч, граммофонная пластинка, садовый вар, восковой, вощеный, вощить, производить звукозапись, прибывать (о луне), увеличиваться, развиваться, идти (о времени)

idioms:

• wax and wane    то увеличиваться, то уменьшаться, то хуже, то лучше
• wax in his/her hands    всецело подчиненный его/ее воле
• wax paper    вощеная бумага

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - cera (de abejas), matriz de cera (para fabricación de discos), cerilla (del oído)
v. tr. - encerar, untar con cera, depilar con cera, grabar en un disco
adj. - de cera

idioms:

• wax in someone's hands    untarle las manos a alguien
• wax paper    papel encerado

2.
v. intr. - crecer (la luna), aumentar de tamaño o intensidad

idioms:

• wax and wane    tener altibajos, ir y venir

3.
n. - rabieta, rabia, enfado

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - vaxa, bona, tillta, bli
n. - vax, lack, raseri
adj. - vax-

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
给...上蜡, 把...灌制唱片, 用热蜡除去...的毛, 变大, 月亮渐满, 增大, 上蜡于, 蜡, 增加, 蜡状物, 蜡状的

idioms:

• wax and wane    月亮的盈亏圆缺, 交替增加和减少
• wax in someone's hands    完全屈服于某人, 完全受某人的摆布
• wax paper    蜡纸

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
v. intr. - 變大, 月亮漸滿, 增大

idioms:

• wax and wane    月亮的盈虧圓缺, 交替增加和減少

2.
n. - 蜂蠟
adj. - 蠟狀的
v. tr. - 上蠟於...

idioms:

• wax in someone's hands    完全屈服於某人, 完全受某人的擺佈
• wax paper    蠟紙

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 초, 왁스, 귀지 (earwax)
v. tr. - ~에 왁스를 바르다, 왁스로 털을 제거하다, (레코드에) 취입하다
adj. - 왁스로 만든, 왁스로 된

2.
v. intr. - 달이 점점 커지다, ~ 상태로 되다

3.
n. - 불끈함

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ろう, みつろう, ワックス, 耳あか, 立腹
v. - ワックスで磨く, 満ちる, 増す, 増大する

idioms:

• sealing wax    封ろう
• wax and wane    月の満ち欠け
• wax in his/her hands    人の思い通りになる
• wax paper    ろう紙

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يشمع, يصبح, يصير, يكبر, ينمي (الاسم) شمع, شمع خام, غضب (صفه) شمعي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮דונג, שעווה, תקליט‬
v. tr. - ‮דינג, מרח שעווה, הסיר שערות בשעווה, הקליט‬
adj. - ‮עשוי דונג, של דונג‬
v. intr. - ‮גדל בהדרגה (חלקו הנראה לעין של הירח החדש), התחזק‬
n. - ‮התקף זעם‬

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