forwax

F4O1R1W4A1X8

verb

To grow to excess; become huge; overgrow; swell.

OriginMiddle English forwaxen ← Old English forweaxan →
Scrabble 19
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Meanings

verbforwax (third-person singular simple present forwaxes, present participle forwaxing, simple past forwaxed, past participle forwaxed or forwaxen)

present singular third person forwaxes · participle present forwaxing · past forwaxed · participle past forwaxed · participle past forwaxen

  1. intransitiveobsoleteTo grow to excess; become huge; overgrow; swell.

    Horrible gret was, A forwoxen grome, Such Another neuer had he sain.

    1475, Couldrette, The romans of Partenay

Origin

  1. Old Englishforweaxan“to progress, grow too much, become overgrown”
  2. Middle Englishforwaxen
  3. Englishforwax

From Middle English forwaxen, from Old English forweaxan (“to progress, grow too much, become overgrown”), equivalent to for- + wax (“to grow, increase”). Cognate with German verwachsen (“to grow together, heal over, overgrow”).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

forwax. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forwax

MLA

“forwax.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forwax. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forwax,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forwax.

Source: forwax on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.