Wax
/wæks/
nounverbB1
Definition
As a noun, wax is a soft, often shiny substance made by bees or plants, or made by humans, used for making candles, polishing, or protecting surfaces. As a verb, wax means to cover something with wax or to increase in size or strength, especially when talking about the moon getting bigger.
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See It in Action
Noun: A soft, sticky substance used for making candles, polishing, or protecting surfaces
- •The candle was made of beeswax.
- •She used wax to polish the wooden table.
- •Car wax helps keep the paint shiny and safe.
Verb: To cover something with wax or to increase in size or strength (especially the moon)
- •He waxed the floor to make it shiny.
- •The moon waxes every night until it is full.
- •They waxed their skis before the race.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "wax" like "soft" (A1 word), but it is a special soft material that can melt and harden again
- ✓Picture a candle made of wax slowly melting when lit, or a shiny floor after waxing
- ✓It's the feeling of smoothness and shine after polishing a car or furniture
- ✓Sounds like "wax" → imagine a wax seal on an old letter, soft but strong and sticky
- ✓Remember bees making wax in their hives to build honeycombs, a natural, useful material
- ✓NOT like "water" (liquid, flows easily), wax is solid but can melt and become liquid when warm
- ✓NOT like "paint" (color layer), wax adds shine and protection but is thicker and softer
- ✓As a verb, NOT like "grow" (general increase), wax is used especially for the moon getting bigger in the sky
Try Other Words
- •Coat: to cover a surface with a layer (Use when the material is not specifically wax but any covering)
- •Shine: to make something bright or glossy (Use when focusing on the result, not the material)
- •Grow: to increase in size (Use for general growth, not just the moon)
- •Polish: to clean and make shiny (Use when no wax is involved)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix) — simple root word
- •Etymology: From Old English "weax," meaning a sticky substance made by bees
- •Historical development: Used for centuries to mean the bee substance and the action of covering with it
- •Modern usage: Commonly used for candle material, floor or car treatment, and moon phases (waxing)
- •Interesting fact: The word "wax" as a verb for the moon comes from the idea of the moon growing or increasing
Reflect & Connect
•How does the idea of waxing (growing) connect to the physical wax that covers or protects things?
•Can you think of other natural materials like wax that have both a physical form and a metaphorical meaning?
Fill in the blanks
1.People wax floors to ___ their surface and make it ___.
2.The moon waxes when it ___ in size during the month.
3.You should ___ your skis before skiing to help them slide better on snow.
4.Bees make ___ to build their honeycombs, which is soft and sticky.
5.After waxing, the car's paint looks ___ and feels ___.
6.Unlike paint, wax is soft and can ___ when warm.
7.When the moon is waxing, it is ___, not ___ in the sky.