The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Wax \Wax\ (w[a^]ks), v. i. [imp. Waxed; p. p. Waxed, and
   Obs. or Poetic Waxen; p. pr. & vb. n. Waxing.] [AS.
   weaxan; akin to OFries. waxa, D. wassen, OS. & OHG. wahsan,
   G. wachsen, Icel. vaxa, Sw. v[aum]xa, Dan. voxe, Goth.
   wahsjan, Gr. ? to increase, Skr. waksh, uksh, to grow.
   [root]135. Cf. Waist.]
   [1913 Webster]
   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. --Hakewill.
      [1913 Webster]

            Truth's treasures . . . never shall wax ne wane.
                                                  --P. Plowman.
      [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. --Deut.
                                                  xxix. 5.
      [1913 Webster]

            Where young Adonis oft reposes,
            Waxing well of his deep wound.        --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   Waxing kernels (Med.), small tumors formed by the
      enlargement of the lymphatic glands, especially in the
      groins of children; -- popularly so called, because
      supposed to be caused by growth of the body. --Dunglison.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Wax \Wax\, n. [AS. weax; akin to OFries. wax, D. was, G. wachs,
   OHG. wahs, Icel. & Sw. vax, Dan. vox, Lith. vaszkas, Russ.
   vosk'.]
   [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]

   Note: 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. Specifically:
      [1913 Webster]
      (a) (Physiol.) Cerumen, or earwax. See Cerumen.
          [1913 Webster]
      (b) A waxlike composition used for uniting surfaces, for
          excluding air, and for other purposes; as, sealing
          wax, grafting wax, etching wax, etc.
          [1913 Webster]
      (c) A waxlike composition used by shoemakers for rubbing
          their thread.
          [1913 Webster]
      (d) (Zool.) A substance similar to beeswax, secreted by
          several species of scale insects, as the Chinese wax.
          See Wax insect, below.
          [1913 Webster]
      (e) (Bot.) A waxlike product secreted by certain plants.
          See Vegetable wax, under Vegetable.
          [1913 Webster]
      (f) (Min.) A substance, somewhat resembling wax, found in
          connection with certain deposits of rock salt and
          coal; -- called also mineral wax, and ozocerite.
          [1913 Webster]
      (g) Thick sirup made by boiling down the sap of the sugar
          maple, and then cooling. [Local U. S.]
          [1913 Webster]
      (h) any of numerous substances or mixtures composed
          predominantly of the longer-chain saturated
          hydrocarbons such as the paraffins, which are solid at
          room teperature, or their alcohol, carboxylic acid, or
          ester derivatives.
          [PJC]

   Japanese wax, a waxlike substance made in Japan from the
      berries of certain species of Rhus, esp. Rhus
      succedanea.

   Mineral wax. (Min.) See Wax, 2
      (f), above.

   Wax cloth. See Waxed cloth, under Waxed.

   Wax end. See Waxed end, under Waxed.

   Wax flower, a flower made of, or resembling, wax.

   Wax insect (Zool.), any one of several species of scale
      insects belonging to the family Coccidae, which secrete
      from their bodies a waxlike substance, especially the
      Chinese wax insect (Coccus Sinensis) from which a large
      amount of the commercial Chinese wax is obtained. Called
      also pela.

   Wax light, a candle or taper of wax.

   Wax moth (Zool.), a pyralid moth (Galleria cereana) whose
      larvae feed upon honeycomb, and construct silken galleries
      among the fragments. The moth has dusky gray wings
      streaked with brown near the outer edge. The larva is
      yellowish white with brownish dots. Called also bee
      moth.

   Wax myrtle. (Bot.) See Bayberry.

   Wax painting, a kind of painting practiced by the ancients,
      under the name of encaustic. The pigments were ground with
      wax, and diluted. After being applied, the wax was melted
      with hot irons and the color thus fixed.

   Wax palm. (Bot.)
      (a) A species of palm (Ceroxylon Andicola) native of the
          Andes, the stem of which is covered with a secretion,
          consisting of two thirds resin and one third wax,
          which, when melted with a third of fat, makes
          excellent candles.
      (b) A Brazilian tree (Copernicia cerifera) the young
          leaves of which are covered with a useful waxy
          secretion.

   Wax paper, paper prepared with a coating of white wax and
      other ingredients.

   Wax plant (Bot.), a name given to several plants, as:
      (a) The Indian pipe (see under Indian).
      (b) The Hoya carnosa, a climbing plant with polished,
          fleshy leaves.
      (c) Certain species of Begonia with similar foliage.

   Wax tree (Bot.)
      (a) A tree or shrub (Ligustrum lucidum) of China, on
          which certain insects make a thick deposit of a
          substance resembling white wax.
      (b) A kind of sumac (Rhus succedanea) of Japan, the
          berries of which yield a sort of wax.
      (c) A rubiaceous tree (Elaeagia utilis) of New Grenada,
          called by the inhabitants "arbol del cera."

   Wax yellow, a dull yellow, resembling the natural color of
      beeswax.
      [1913 Webster]
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Wax \Wax\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Waxed; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Waxing.]
   To smear or rub with wax; to treat with wax; as, to wax a
   thread or a table.
   [1913 Webster]

   Waxed cloth, cloth covered with a coating of wax, used as a
      cover, of tables and for other purposes; -- called also
      wax cloth.

   Waxed end, a thread pointed with a bristle and covered with
      shoemaker's wax, used in sewing leather, as for boots,
      shoes, and the like; -- called also wax end. --Brockett.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

wax
    n 1: any of various substances of either mineral origin or plant
         or animal origin; they are solid at normal temperatures and
         insoluble in water
    v 1: cover with wax; "wax the car"
    2: go up or advance; "Sales were climbing after prices were
       lowered" [syn: wax, mount, climb, rise] [ant: wane]
    3: increase in phase; "the moon is waxing" [syn: wax, full]
       [ant: wane]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

218 Moby Thesaurus words for "wax":
   accrue, accumulate, advance, aluminum oxide, ambergris, anoint,
   antifriction, appreciate, augment, auto polish, balloon,
   bear fruit, beeswax, black lead, bloat, bloom, blossom, blubber,
   boom, boost, breakthrough, breed, breeze, brew, broaden, buff,
   build, burgeon, burnish, butter, candelilla wax, carnauba wax,
   cartridge, cassette, cat fit, cerate, ceresin, clay, colcothar,
   come, come over, conniption, conniption fit, convulsion, corundum,
   crescendo, crocus, cushion, daub, develop, disc, dough, down,
   dress, duck fit, eiderdown, electrical transcription, embrocate,
   emery, emery board, emery paper, enlarge, evolute, evolve, expand,
   feather bed, feathers, fig wax, file, finish, fit, fit of anger,
   fit of temper, fleece, floor wax, floss, flourish, flower, flue,
   fluff, foam, fossil wax, furbish, gain, gain strength, garnet,
   gather, germinate, get, get ahead, glance, glaze, gloss, glycerin,
   glycerolate, go, go up, gondang wax, graphite, grease,
   grease the wheels, grow, grow up, hike, hypertrophy, increase,
   intensify, kapok, lac wax, lard, lubricant, lubricate,
   lubricating oil, lubricator, luster, maturate, mature, mellow,
   mineral wax, mount, mucilage, mucus, multiply, mushroom, nail file,
   oil, outgrow, overdevelop, overgrow, overtop, ozokerite,
   paraffin scale, paraffin wax, paroxysm, phonograph record, pillow,
   plumbago, plush, polish, polishes, pomade, procreate, progress,
   proliferate, pudding, puff, pullulate, pumice, pumice stone, putty,
   rage, rasp, record, recording, reproduce, ripen, rise, rottenstone,
   rouge, rub, rubber, run, run up, salve, sandpaper, satin,
   scale wax, scour, sealing wax, shine, shoe polish, shoot up,
   silicon carbide, silicone, silk, silver polish, ski wax, sleek,
   slick, slick down, slick on, smear, smooth the way, snowball,
   soap the ways, spread, spring up, sprout, sprout up, strengthen,
   swansdown, swell, tantrum, tape, tape cartridge, tape cassette,
   tape recording, temper tantrum, thistledown, thrive, tower,
   transcription, turn, unguent, upgrade, upshoot, upspear, upspring,
   upsprout, upsurge, varnish, vegetable wax, vegetate, velvet, widen,
   wire recording, wool, zephyr



Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Wax
   Made by melting the combs of bees. Mentioned (Ps. 22:14; 68:2;
   97:5; Micah 1:4) in illustration.