Wexen

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To grow or increase in size; to become larger or more developed; the process of expanding or augmenting in extent
2. The act of rising in physical dimensions or quantity; the progression toward a greater or fuller state; a natural or artificial increase in amount or scope
3. Describing the movement or change toward greater magnitude; the condition of being enlarged or enhanced; an upward trend in size, value, or intensity

Etymology: The verb behind this word, Old English "weaxan," meant simply to grow, and its spelling drifted through Middle English into forms such as "wexen" before "wax" became standard. Its meaning was never tied to the honey-made substance. That noun, "weax," came from a separate Old English root, so beeswax and the verb to wax are unrelated words that happen to look identical. Their natural opposite is "wane," from Old English "wanian," to lessen or decline. A moon waxes until full and then wanes, which is why the two verbs still appear together in discussions of the moon's cycle. The Germanic verb "wahsan" and related forms in other older Germanic languages show that the idea of swelling or growing was shared across the family long before English recorded it.