Waxen

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈwæksən/

Definitions

1. Having a smooth and pale quality resembling the surface of wax
2. Describing an appearance that is soft, glossy, and often associated with fragility or delicacy
3. Referring to a complexion that is unnaturally pale or lifeless, suggesting a lack of vitality

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "waxen" is that its meaning as "made of wax" is a later, narrower sense than its root suggests. The adjective descends from Old English "weaxen" and "ġeweaxen", which were past-participle forms of a verb meaning "to grow" or "to increase". So a word now tied to candles and pale skin started life as something that had simply grown. The form is a participle built on "wax" in its verb sense, "to grow", and the same root gave the noun for the substance. The sense "made of wax" appears in Middle English, derived from the Old English "weaxen" with the same "made of" meaning. The pale-skinned sense in the given meaning is a figurative extension of the substance itself.

Synonyms: pale, wan, sallow

Antonyms: rosy, bright