Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by bees (beeswax) and used by them in constructing their honeycombs.

In modern terms, wax is an imprecisely defined term generally understood to be a substance with properties similar to beeswax, namely

• plastic (malleable) at normal ambient temperatures
• a melting point above approximately 45 °C (which differentiates waxes from fats and oils)
• a relatively low viscosity when melted (unlike many plastics)
• insoluble in water
• hydrophobic

Waxes may be natural or artificial. In addition to beeswax, carnauba (a vegetable wax) and paraffin (a mineral wax) are commonly encountered waxes which occur naturally. Ear wax is a sticky substance found in the human ear. Some artificial materials that exhibit similar properties are also described as wax or waxy.

Chemically, a wax may be an ester of ethylene glycol (ethane 1,2-diol) and two fatty acids, as opposed to a fat which is an ester of glycerin (propane 1,2,3-triol) and three fatty acids. It is a type of lipid.

See also

• beeswax
• paraffin wax and paraffin
• carnauba
• candles
• hair wax
• waxing for hair removal
• wax play
• SC Johnson Company
• ski wax