Wax \Wax\, n. [AS. weax; akin to OFries. wax, D. was, G. wachs,
   OHG. wahs, Icel. & Sw. vax, Dan. vox, Lith. vaszkas, Russ.
   vosk'.]
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   1. 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.
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   Note: Beeswax consists essentially of cerotic acid
         (constituting the more soluble part) and of myricyl
         palmitate (constituting the less soluble part).
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   2. Hence, any substance resembling beeswax in consistency or
      appearance. Specifically: 
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      (a) (Physiol.) Cerumen, or earwax. See Cerumen.
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      (b) A waxlike composition used for uniting surfaces, for
          excluding air, and for other purposes; as, sealing
          wax, grafting wax, etching wax, etc.
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      (c) A waxlike composition used by shoemakers for rubbing
          their thread.
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      (d) (Zool.) A substance similar to beeswax, secreted by
          several species of scale insects, as the Chinese wax.
          See Wax insect, below.
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      (e) (Bot.) A waxlike product secreted by certain plants.
          See Vegetable wax, under Vegetable.
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      (f) (Min.) A substance, somewhat resembling wax, found in
          connection with certain deposits of rock salt and
          coal; -- called also mineral wax, and ozocerite.
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      (g) Thick sirup made by boiling down the sap of the sugar
          maple, and then cooling. [Local U. S.]
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      (h) 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.
          [PJC]

   Japanese wax, a waxlike substance made in Japan from the
      berries of certain species of Rhus, esp. Rhus
      succedanea.

   Mineral wax. (Min.) See Wax, 2
      (f), above.

   Wax cloth. See Waxed cloth, under Waxed.

   Wax end. See Waxed end, under Waxed.

   Wax flower, a flower made of, or resembling, wax.

   Wax insect (Zool.), any one of several species of scale
      insects belonging to the family Coccidae, which secrete
      from their bodies a waxlike substance, especially the
      Chinese wax insect (Coccus Sinensis) from which a large
      amount of the commercial Chinese wax is obtained. Called
      also pela.

   Wax light, a candle or taper of wax.

   Wax moth (Zool.), a pyralid moth (Galleria cereana) whose
      larvae feed upon honeycomb, and construct silken galleries
      among the fragments. The moth has dusky gray wings
      streaked with brown near the outer edge. The larva is
      yellowish white with brownish dots. Called also bee
      moth.

   Wax myrtle. (Bot.) See Bayberry.

   Wax painting, a kind of painting practiced by the ancients,
      under the name of encaustic. The pigments were ground with
      wax, and diluted. After being applied, the wax was melted
      with hot irons and the color thus fixed.

   Wax palm. (Bot.)
      (a) A species of palm (Ceroxylon Andicola) native of the
          Andes, the stem of which is covered with a secretion,
          consisting of two thirds resin and one third wax,
          which, when melted with a third of fat, makes
          excellent candles.
      (b) A Brazilian tree (Copernicia cerifera) the young
          leaves of which are covered with a useful waxy
          secretion.

   Wax paper, paper prepared with a coating of white wax and
      other ingredients.

   Wax plant (Bot.), a name given to several plants, as:
      (a) The Indian pipe (see under Indian).
      (b) The Hoya carnosa, a climbing plant with polished,
          fleshy leaves.
      (c) Certain species of Begonia with similar foliage.

   Wax tree (Bot.)
      (a) A tree or shrub (Ligustrum lucidum) of China, on
          which certain insects make a thick deposit of a
          substance resembling white wax.
      (b) A kind of sumac (Rhus succedanea) of Japan, the
          berries of which yield a sort of wax.
      (c) A rubiaceous tree (Elaeagia utilis) of New Grenada,
          called by the inhabitants "arbol del cera."

   Wax yellow, a dull yellow, resembling the natural color of
      beeswax.
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Bee \Bee\ (b[=e]), n. [AS. be['o]; akin to D. bij and bije,
   Icel. b[=y], Sw. & Dan. bi, OHG. pini, G. biene, and perh.
   Ir. beach, Lith. bitis, Skr. bha. [root]97.]
   1. (Zool.) An insect of the order Hymenoptera, and family
      Apid[ae] (the honeybees), or family Andrenid[ae] (the
      solitary bees.) See Honeybee.
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   Note: There are many genera and species. The common honeybee
         (Apis mellifica) lives in swarms, each of which has
         its own queen, its males or drones, and its very
         numerous workers, which are barren females. Besides the
         Apis mellifica there are other species and varieties
         of honeybees, as the Apis ligustica of Spain and
         Italy; the Apis Indica of India; the Apis fasciata
         of Egypt. The bumblebee is a species of Bombus. The
         tropical honeybees belong mostly to Melipoma and
         Trigona.
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   2. A neighborly gathering of people who engage in united
      labor for the benefit of an individual or family; as, a
      quilting bee; a husking bee; a raising bee. [U. S.]
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            The cellar . . . was dug by a bee in a single day.
                                                  --S. G.
                                                  Goodrich.
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   3. pl. [Prob. fr. AS. be['a]h ring, fr. b?gan to bend. See
      1st Bow.] (Naut.) Pieces of hard wood bolted to the
      sides of the bowsprit, to reeve the fore-topmast stays
      through; -- called also bee blocks.
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   Bee beetle (Zool.), a beetle (Trichodes apiarius)
      parasitic in beehives.

   Bee bird (Zool.), a bird that eats the honeybee, as the
      European flycatcher, and the American kingbird.

   Bee flower (Bot.), an orchidaceous plant of the genus
      Ophrys (Ophrys apifera), whose flowers have some
      resemblance to bees, flies, and other insects.

   Bee fly (Zool.), a two winged fly of the family
      Bombyliid[ae]. Some species, in the larval state, are
      parasitic upon bees.

   Bee garden, a garden or inclosure to set beehives in; an
      apiary. --Mortimer.

   Bee glue, a soft, unctuous matter, with which bees cement
      the combs to the hives, and close up the cells; -- called
      also propolis.

   Bee hawk (Zool.), the honey buzzard.

   Bee killer (Zool.), a large two-winged fly of the family
      Asilid[ae] (esp. Trupanea apivora) which feeds upon
      the honeybee. See Robber fly.

   Bee louse (Zool.), a minute, wingless, dipterous insect
      (Braula c[ae]ca) parasitic on hive bees.

   Bee martin (Zool.), the kingbird (Tyrannus Carolinensis)
      which occasionally feeds on bees.

   Bee moth (Zool.), a moth (Galleria cereana) whose
      larv[ae] feed on honeycomb, occasioning great damage in
      beehives.

   Bee wolf (Zool.), the larva of the bee beetle. See Illust.
      of Bee beetle.

   To have a bee in the head or To have a bee in the bonnet.
      (a) To be choleric. [Obs.]
      (b) To be restless or uneasy. --B. Jonson.
      (c) To be full of fancies; to be a little crazy. "She's
          whiles crack-brained, and has a bee in her head."
          --Sir W. Scott.
          [1913 Webster] beebalm