Wax vs. Oil — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Wax and Oil
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Compare with Definitions
Wax
Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to give low viscosity liquids.
Oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is a viscous liquid at ambient temperatures and is both hydrophobic (does not mix with water, literally "water fearing") and lipophilic (mixes with other oils, literally "fat loving"). Oils have a high carbon and hydrogen content and are usually flammable and surface active.
Wax
A sticky yellowish mouldable substance secreted by honeybees as the material of a honeycomb; beeswax.
Oil
A viscous liquid derived from petroleum, especially for use as a fuel or lubricant.
Wax
Used in reference to records
He didn't get on wax until 1959
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Oil
Oil paint
A portrait in oils
Wax
A fit of anger
She is in a wax about the delay to the wedding
Oil
Information or facts
Young had some good oil on the Adelaide races
Wax
Cover or treat (something) with wax or a similar substance, typically to polish or protect it
I washed and waxed the floor
Oil
Lubricate, coat, or impregnate with oil
A lightly oiled baking tray
Wax
Make a recording of
He waxed a series of tracks that emphasized his lead guitar work
Oil
Supply with oil as fuel
Attempts should not be made to oil individual tanks too rapidly
Wax
(of the moon between new and full) have a progressively larger part of its visible surface illuminated, increasing its apparent size.
Oil
Any of numerous mineral, vegetable, or synthetic substances or animal or vegetable fats that are generally slippery, combustible, viscous, liquid or liquefiable at room temperatures, soluble in various organic solvents such as ether but not in water, and used in a great variety of products, especially lubricants and fuels.
Wax
Begin to speak or write about something in the specified manner
They waxed lyrical about the old days
Oil
Petroleum.
Wax
Any of various natural, oily or greasy heat-sensitive substances, consisting of hydrocarbons or esters of fatty acids that are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents.
Oil
A petroleum derivative, such as a machine oil or lubricant.
Wax
Beeswax.
Oil
A protective or cosmetic liquid applied to the skin or hair.
Wax
Earwax.
Oil
Oil paint.
Wax
A solid plastic or pliable liquid substance, such as ozocerite or paraffin, originating from petroleum and found in rock layers and used in paper coating, as insulation, in crayons, and often in medicinal preparations.
Oil
A painting done in oil paint.
Wax
A preparation containing wax used for polishing floors and other surfaces.
Oil
To lubricate, supply, cover, or polish with oil.
Wax
A resinous mixture used by shoemakers to rub on thread.
Oil
Liquid fat.
Wax
A cosmetic procedure in which facial or body hair is removed by peeling away a layer of wax that has been allowed to harden.
Oil
Petroleum-based liquid used as fuel or lubricant.
Wax
A fit of anger
"All at once you would suddenly find yourself reverting to childish attitudes, flaring up in a wax with some fellow" (Frank O'Connor).
Oil
Petroleum
Wax
Made of wax
A wax candle.
Oil
(countable) An oil painting.
Wax
To coat, treat, or polish with wax.
Oil
(painting) Oil paint.
I prefer to paint in oil
Wax
To remove (facial or body hair) by covering the skin with a layer of wax that is peeled off after hardening, uprooting the encased hairs.
Oil
(attributive) Containing oil, conveying oil; intended for or capable of containing oil.
Oil barrel; oil pipe
Wax
To remove hair from (a portion of the body) by this method.
Oil
(transitive) To lubricate with oil.
Wax
To increase gradually in size, number, strength, or intensity
“His love affair with Mrs. Bernstein waxed and waned and waxed again” (C. Hugh Holman).
Oil
(transitive) To grease with oil for cooking.
Wax
To show a progressively larger illuminated area, as the moon does in passing from new to full.
Oil
Any one of a great variety of unctuous combustible substances, more viscous than and not miscible with water; as, olive oil, whale oil, rock oil, etc. They are of animal, vegetable, or mineral origin and of varied composition, and they are variously used for food, for solvents, for anointing, lubrication, illumination, etc. By extension, any substance of an oily consistency; as, oil of vitriol.
Wax
To grow or become as specified
“His very body had waxed old in lowly service of the Lord” (James Joyce).
Oil
To smear or rub over with oil; to lubricate with oil; to anoint with oil.
Wax
To speak or write as specified
“[He] warmed to his most favorite of subjects, waxed eloquent, gained in his face a glow of passion” (Paul J. Willis).
Oil
A slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water
Wax
Beeswax.
Oil
Oil paint used by an artist
Wax
Earwax.
What role does the wax in your earhole fulfill?
Oil
Any of a group of liquid edible fats that are obtained from plants
Wax
Any oily, water-resistant, solid or semisolid substance; normally long-chain hydrocarbons, alcohols or esters.
Oil
Cover with oil, as if by rubbing;
Oil the wooden surface
Wax
Any preparation containing wax, used as a polish.
Oil
Administer an oil or ointment to ; often in a religious ceremony of blessing
Wax
The phonograph record format for music.
Wax
A thick syrup made by boiling down the sap of the sugar maple and then cooling it.
Wax
A type of drugs with as main ingredients weed oil and butane; hash oil.
Wax
(rare) The process of growing.
Wax
An outburst of anger, a loss of temper, a fit of rage.
Wax
Made of wax.
Wax
(transitive) To apply wax to (something, such as a shoe, a floor, a car, or an apple), usually to make it shiny.
Wax
(transitive) To remove hair at the roots from (a part of the body) by coating the skin with a film of wax that is then pulled away sharply.
Wax
To defeat utterly.
Wax
To kill, especially to murder a person.
Wax
To record.
Wax
To increasingly assume the specified characteristic.
To wax eloquent
Wax
To grow.
Wax
To appear larger each night as a progression from a new moon to a full moon.
Wax
To move from low tide to high tide.
Wax
To increase in size; to grow bigger; to become larger or fuller; - opposed to wane.
The waxing and the waning of the moon.
Truth's treasures . . . never shall wax ne wane.
Wax
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.
Your clothes are not waxen old upon you.
Where young Adonis oft reposes,Waxing well of his deep wound.
Wax
To smear or rub with wax; to treat with wax; as, to wax a thread or a table.
Wax
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.
Wax
Hence, any substance resembling beeswax in consistency or appearance.
Wax
Cerumen, or earwax.
Wax
A waxlike composition used for uniting surfaces, for excluding air, and for other purposes; as, sealing wax, grafting wax, etching wax, etc.
Wax
A waxlike composition used by shoemakers for rubbing their thread.
Wax
A substance similar to beeswax, secreted by several species of scale insects, as the Chinese wax. See Wax insect, below.
Wax
A waxlike product secreted by certain plants. See Vegetable wax, under Vegetable.
Wax
A substance, somewhat resembling wax, found in connection with certain deposits of rock salt and coal; - called also mineral wax, and ozocerite.
Wax
Thick sirup made by boiling down the sap of the sugar maple, and then cooling.
Wax
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.
Wax
Any of various substances of either mineral origin or plant or animal origin; they are solid at normal temperatures and insoluble in water
Wax
Cover with wax;
Wax the car
Wax
Go up or advance;
Sales were climbing after prices were lowered
Wax
Increase in phase;
The moon is waxing
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