waxwork

noun

wax·​work ˈwaks-ˌwərk How to pronounce waxwork (audio)
1
: an effigy in wax usually of a person
2
waxworks ˈwaks-ˌwərks How to pronounce waxwork (audio) plural in form but singular or plural in construction : wax museum

Examples of waxwork in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Johnson had weighed in on the controversy over the waxwork Monday, after some observers accused the museum of whitewashing. EW.com, 24 Oct. 2023 To remove his waxwork from the Musée Grévin (France's Madame Tussauds)? The Week Uk, theweek, 7 Jan. 2024 The current version of the evergreen rock ‘n roller is like a waxwork of the 1976 punk prototype Idol—in the best possible way. Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 15 Dec. 2023 The room is also home to the waxwork of other royal family members, including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Kate Middleton, and Prince William. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2023 On the occasion of the exhibition’s opening, Vogue talked with the renowned Canadian filmmaker about his discovery of these anatomical waxworks, the fantasy of living dissection, and the arduous process of filming 200-year-old actresses. Erik Morse, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2023 Ah, to be young and meandering around the desert, locating hidden oases to skinny dip in, and trespassing in the buildings of a misanthrope’s roadside attraction full of waxwork figures who seem to move of their own accord. Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 8 May 2021 Although Evin has remained open, the authorities closed the shah’s older jail in central Tehran and turned it into the Ebrat Museum to showcase the shah’s brutality, complete with waxwork figures of torture victims. Kian Tajbakhsh, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2022 Four people have been arrested for criminal damage, after a waxwork of King Charles III was vandalized at Madame Tussauds in London on Monday. Christian Edwards, CNN, 24 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waxwork.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1663, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of waxwork was in 1663

Dictionary Entries Near waxwork

Cite this Entry

“Waxwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waxwork. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

waxwork

noun
wax·​work -ˌswərk How to pronounce waxwork (audio)
1
: a figure in wax usually of a person
2
plural : wax museum

More from Merriam-Webster on waxwork

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