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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

waxen en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /ˈwæksən/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English waxen, from Old English weaxen, ġeweaxen, from Proto-Germanic *wahsanaz, past participle of Proto-Germanic *wahsijaną (“to wax, grow, increase”), equivalent to wax + -en (past participle ending).

Meanings

  1. (UK, dialectal) Grown.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more waxen Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most waxen Degree=Sup lexicographic

Deriveds

half-waxen

waxen en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /ˈwæksən/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English waxen, from Old English weaxen, ġeweaxen, from Proto-Germanic *wahsanaz, past participle of Proto-Germanic *wahsijaną (“to wax, grow, increase”), equivalent to wax + -en (past participle ending).

Meanings

  1. (alternative, archaic, form-of, participle, past) alternative past participle of wax.
    form of wax

waxen en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /ˈwæksən/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Equivalent to wax + -en (plural simple present ending).

Meanings

  1. (form-of, obsolete, plural, present) plural simple present of wax
    form of wax
    • When the rayne is faln, the cloudes wexen cleare. 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “September. Ægloga Nona.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC, folio 35, verso:
    • and then the whole Quire hould their hippes, and loffe, and waxen in their myrth, and neeze, and ſweare a merrier hower was neuer waſted there. c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], signature B3, verso:
    • And they that occupye them bene in moche ſauegarde, and hauen greate conſolacyon, and bene the readyer vnto all goodnes, the ſlower to all euyll, and yf they haue done any thing amyſe, anone euen by the ſyght of the bookes theyꝛ conſciences bene admoniſhed, and they waxen ſoꝛy ⁊ aſhamed of the facte. 1540, Thomas [Cranmer], “A Prologue or Preface […]”, in The Byble in Englyshe, […] (Great Bible), [2nd edition], [London]: […] Edward whytchurche, signature [i];, verso:

waxen en · ADJ · etymology 3

Pronunciation

  • /ˈwæksən/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English waxen (“made of wax”), from Old English weaxen (“waxen, made of wax”), equivalent to wax + -en (“made of”).

Meanings

  1. Made of or covered with wax.
    • a waxen tablet
    • [T]o the altar each man brought some goodly offering, […] a waxen honey-comb / Dripping with oozy gold which scarce the bee / Had ceased from building, […] 1881, Oscar Wilde, “Charmides”, in Poems, London: David Bogue, […], →OCLC, page 105:
    • She is fair; and so is Julia that I love— That I did love, for now my love is thaw’d; Which, like a waxen image, ’gainst a fire, Bears no impression of the thing it was. c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:
  2. Of or pertaining to wax.
  3. Having the pale smooth characteristics of wax, waxlike, waxy.
    • It was hard to imagine that the broken thing had once been new; that those withered, waxen cheeks had been fresh and tinted. That her eyes had long ago glinted with laughter. 1950, Mervyn Peake, chapter 28, in Gormenghast, Penguin, published 1969, page 185:
  4. Easily molded, influenced, or bent; yielding, impressible.
    • The traveller hears me now and then, ⁠And sometimes harshly will he speak: ⁠‘This fellow would make weakness weak, And melt the waxen hearts of men.’ 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XXI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 35:
  5. (rare) Easily effaced, as if written in wax.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more waxen Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most waxen Degree=Sup lexicographic

Deriveds

waxen vein · waxen image · woad-waxen · waxen chatterer

Translations (10)

cy cwyraidd (of or pertaining to wax) · izh vahain (having characteristics of wax) · ca cerós (having characteristics of wax) · ca cerós (of or pertaining to wax) · gd cèireach (of or pertaining to wax) · bg восъчен (of or pertaining to wax) · izh vahain (of or pertaining to wax) · la cēreus (of or pertaining to wax) · gd cèireach (having characteristics of wax) · cy cwyraidd (having characteristics of wax)