waxed
UK: wækst | US: wækst
adj. treated or coated with wax (e.g., "waxed floor")
v. (past tense of wax) 1. to increase gradually (e.g., "the moon waxed")
v. (past tense of wax) 2. to apply wax to a surface
waxed = wax<substance/to grow> + ed<past tense suffix>
- wax: From Old English weax (beeswax) and weaxan (to grow), both Proto-Germanic in origin (wahsą and wahsijaną).
- ed: Past tense suffix in English, indicating completed action.
Etymology Origin:
The dual meaning of wax stems from two distinct Old English roots: one for the substance (weax) and another for growth (weaxan). Over time, waxed evolved to describe both the act of applying wax (from the noun) and the process of increasing (from the verb). The suffix -ed standardizes it as a past-tense form.
She waxed the car until it shone.
The moon waxed to full brightness last night.
The floors were freshly waxed and slippery.
His enthusiasm waxed as the project progressed.
The artisan waxed the thread for durability.