1.  To increase in size; to grow bigger; to become larger or fuller; -- opposed to wane. [1913 Webster]
"The waxing and the waning of the moon." [1913 Webster]
"Truth's treasures . . . never shall wax ne wane." [1913 Webster]

2.  To pass from one state to another; to become; to grow; as, to wax strong; to wax warmer or colder; to wax feeble; to wax old; to wax worse and worse. [1913 Webster]
"Your clothes are not waxen old upon you." [1913 Webster]
"Where young Adonis oft reposes,
Waxing well of his deep wound." [1913 Webster]

1.  A fatty, solid substance, produced by bees, and employed by them in the construction of their comb; -- usually called beeswax. It is first excreted, from a row of pouches along their sides, in the form of scales, which, being masticated and mixed with saliva, become whitened and tenacious. Its natural color is pale or dull yellow. [1913 Webster]
" Beeswax consists essentially of cerotic acid (constituting the more soluble part) and of myricyl palmitate (constituting the less soluble part)." [1913 Webster]

2.  Hence, any substance resembling beeswax in consistency or appearance. [1913 Webster]

   To smear or rub with wax; to treat with wax; as, to wax a thread or a table. [1913 Webster]

wax, n. & v.
--n.
1 a sticky plastic yellowish substance secreted by bees as the material of honeycomb cells; beeswax.
2 a white translucent material obtained from this by bleaching and purifying and used for candles, in modelling, as a basis of polishes, and for other purposes.
3 any similar substance, e.g. earwax.
4 colloq. a a gramophone record. b material for the manufacture of this.
5 (attrib.) made of wax.
--v.tr.
1 cover or treat with wax.
2 colloq. record for the gramophone.

Idiom:
be wax in a person's hands be entirely subservient to a person. lost wax = CIRE PERDUE. wax-light a taper or candle of wax. wax-myrtle a tree, Myrtus cerifera, yielding wax and oil used for candles. wax-painting = ENCAUSTIC. wax palm
1 a South American palm, Ceroxylon alpinum, with its stem coated in a mixture of resin and wax.
2 a carnauba. wax paper paper waterproofed with a layer of wax. wax-pod a yellow-podded bean. wax-tree an Asian tree, Rhus succedanea, having white berries which yield wax.

Derivative:
waxer n.

wax, v.intr.
1 (of the moon between new and full) have a progressively larger part of its visible surface illuminated, increasing in apparent size.
2 become larger or stronger.
3 pass into a specified state or mood (wax lyrical).

Idiom:
wax and wane undergo alternate increases and decreases.

wax, n. sl. a fit of anger.

Etymology:
19th c.: orig. uncert.: perh. f. WAX(2) wroth etc.

VB  increase, augment, add to, enlarge, dilate, grow, wax, get ahead, gain strength, advance, run up, shoot up, rise, ascend, sprout, aggrandize, raise, exalt, deepen, heighten, strengthen, intensify, enhance, magnify, redouble, aggravate, exaggerate, exasperate, exacerbate, add fuel to the flame, oleum addere camino, superadd, spread.

VB  be converted into, become, get, wax, come to, turn to, turn into, evolve into, develop into, turn out, lapse, shift, run into, fall into, pass into, slide into, glide into, grow into, ripen into, open into, resolve itself into, settle into, merge into, emerge as, melt, grow, come round to, mature, mellow, assume the form of, assume the shape of, assume the state of, assume the nature of, assume the character of, illapse, begin a new phase, assume a new phase, undergo a change, convert into, resolve into, make, render, mold, form, remodel, new model, refound, reform, reorganize, assimilate to, bring to, reduce to.

VB  become larger &c (large), expand, widen, enlarge, extend, grow, increase, incrassate, swell, gather, fill out, deploy, take open order, dilate, stretch, distend, spread, mantle, wax, grow up, spring up, bud, bourgeon, shoot, sprout, germinate, put forth, vegetate, pullulate, open, burst forth, gain flesh, gather flesh, outgrow, spread like wildfire, overrun, be larger than, surpass, render larger &c (large), expand, spread, extend, aggrandize, distend, develop, amplify, spread out, widen, magnify, rarefy, inflate, puff, blow up, stuff, pad, cram, exaggerate, fatten.

N  softness, pliableness, flexibility, pliancy, pliability, sequacity, malleability, ductility, tractility, extendibility, extensibility, plasticity, inelasticity, flaccidity, laxity, penetrability, clay, wax, butter, dough, pudding, alumina, argil, cushion, pillow, feather bed, down, padding, wadding, foam, mollification, softening, soft, tender, supple, pliant, pliable, flexible, flexile, lithe, lithesome, lissom, limber, plastic, ductile, tractile, tractable, malleable, extensile, sequacious, inelastic, aluminous, remollient, yielding, flabby, limp, flimsy, doughy, spongy, penetrable, foamy, cushiony, flaccid, flocculent, downy, edematous, oedematous, medullary, argillaceous, mellow, soft as butter, soft as down, soft as silk, yielding as wax, tender as chicken.

VB  lubricate, lubricitate, oil, grease, lather, soap, wax.

N  semiliquidity, stickiness, viscidity, viscosity, gummosity, glutinosity, mucosity, spissitude, crassitude, lentor, adhesiveness, inspissation, incrassation, thickening, jelly, mucilage, gelatin, gluten, carlock, fish glue, ichthyocol, ichthycolla, isinglass, mucus, phlegm, goo, pituite, lava, glair, starch, gluten, albumen, milk, cream, protein, treacle, gum, size, glue (tenacity), wax, beeswax, emulsion, soup, squash, mud, slush, slime, ooze, moisture, marsh, semifluid, semiliquid, tremellose, half melted, half frozen, milky, muddy, lacteal, lactean, lacteous, lactescent, lactiferous, emulsive, curdled, thick, succulent, uliginous, gelatinous, albuminous, mucilaginous, glutinous, glutenous, gelatin, mastic, amylaceous, ropy, clammy, clotted, viscid, viscous, sticky, tacky, gooey, slab, slabby, lentous, pituitous, mucid, muculent, mucous, gummy.

N  oil, fat, butter, cream, grease, tallow, suet, lard, dripping exunge, blubber, glycerin, stearin, elaine, oleagine, soap, soft soap, wax, cerement, paraffin, spermaceti, adipocere, petroleum, mineral, mineral rock, mineral crystal, mineral oil, vegetable oil, colza oil, olive oil, salad oil, linseed oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, nut oil, animal oil, neat's foot oil, train oil, ointment, unguent, liniment, aceite, amole, Barbados tar, fusel oil, grain oil, rape oil, seneca oil, hydrate of amyl, ghee, heating oil, #2 oil, No, 2 oil, distillate, residual oils, kerosene, jet fuel, gasoline, naphtha, stearin.

N  calefaction, increase of temperature, heating, calefaction, tepefaction, torrefaction, melting, fusion, liquefaction, burning, ambustion, combustion, incension, accension, concremation, cremation, scorification, cautery, cauterization, ustulation, calcination, cracking, refining, incineration, cineration, carbonization, cupellation, ignition, inflammation, adustion, flagration, deflagration, conflagration, empyrosis, incendiarism, arson, auto dafe, boiling, coction, ebullition, estuation, elixation, decoction, ebullioscope, geyser, distillation (vaporization), furnace, blanket, flannel, fur, wadding, clothing, still, refinery, fractionating column, fractionating tower, cracking tower, match, incendiary, petroleuse, cauterizer, caustic, lunar caustic, alkali, apozem, moxa, acid, aqua fortis, aqua regia, catheretic, nitric acid, nitrochloro-hydric acid, nitromuriatic acid, radioactivity, gamma rays, alpha particles, beta rays, X-rays, radiation, cosmic radiation, background radiation, radioactive isotopes, tritium, uranium, plutonium, radon, radium, sunstroke, coup de soleil, insolation, pottery, ceramics, crockery, porcelain, china, earthenware, stoneware, pot, mug, terra cotta, brick, clinker, cinder, ash, scoriae, embers, soot, slag, coke, carbon, charcoal, wood alcohol, turpentine, tea tree oil, gasoline, kerosene, naptha, fuel oil (fuel), wax, paraffin, residue, tar, inflammability, combustibility, diathermancy, transcalency, conduction, convection, radiation, radiant heat, heat conductivity, conductivity, thermal expansion, coefficient of expansion, heated, molten, sodden, r_echauff_e, heating, adust, inflammable, combustible, diathermal, diathermanous, burnt, volcanic, radioactive.

N  fuel, firing, combustible, coal, wallsend, anthracite, culm, coke, carbon, charcoal, bituminous coal, tar shale, turf, peat, firewood, bobbing, faggot, log, cinder, ingle, tinder, touchwood, sulphur, brimstone, incense, port-fire, fire-barrel, fireball, brand, amadou, bavin, blind coal, glance coal, German tinder, pyrotechnic sponge, punk, smudge, solid fueled rocket, wax, paraffin wax, paraffin oil, lamp oil, whale oil, oil, petroleum, gasoline, high octane gasoline, nitromethane, petrol, gas, juice, gasohol, alcohol, ethanol, methanol, fuel oil, kerosene, jet fuel, heating oil, number 2 oil, number 4 oil, naphtha, rocket fuel, high specific impulse fuel, liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, lox, natural gas, synthetic gas, synthesis gas, propane, butane, hydrogen, brand, torch, fuse, wick, spill, match, light, lucifer, congreve, vesuvian, vesta, fusee, locofoco, linstock, candle, oil, carbonaceous, combustible, inflammable, high octane, high specific impulse, heat of combustion.

ader wax, bayberry wax, candelilla wax, carnauba wax, earth wax, epilating wax, fig wax, floor wax, ghedda wax, gondang wax, japan wax, lac wax, mineral wax, montan wax, paraffin wax, pisang wax, scale wax, sealing wax, shellac wax, ski wax, vegetable wax, wax and wane, wax bean, wax begonia, wax crayon, wax figure, wax insect, wax light, wax mallow, wax moth, wax myrtle, wax palm, wax paper, wax plant, white wax tree