sealing wax

/ˈsiːlɪŋ ˌwæks/

noun

Wax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it; the picture of the sender's seal was often pressed into the wax as evidence that the letter had not been opened.

Similar
seal
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Meanings

nounsealing wax (usually uncountable, plural sealing waxes)

plural sealing waxes · alternative sealing-wax

  1. uncountableusuallyWax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it; the picture of the sender's seal was often pressed into the wax as evidence that the letter had not been opened.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounfastener consisting of a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters

Similar
seal
Broader
fastenerfasteningholdfast
Also see
seal

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian черве́н во́сък
  • черве́н во́сък (červén vósăk)wax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Chinese Mandarin 封蠟 /封蜡, 火漆
  • 封蠟 /封蜡 (fēnglà)wax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
  • 火漆 (huǒqī)wax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Dutch zegelwas
  • zegelwaswax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Esperanto sigelvakso
  • sigelvaksowax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Finnish sinettivaha
  • sinettivahawax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
French cire à cacheter
  • cire à cacheterwax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
German Siegellack
  • Siegellackwax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Greek βουλοκέρι
  • βουλοκέρι (voulokéri)wax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Hungarian spanyolviasz, pecsétviasz
  • spanyolviaszwax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
  • pecsétviaszwax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Icelandic þéttingarvax
  • þéttingarvaxwax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Japanese 封蝋
  • 封蝋 (fūrō)wax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Korean 봉랍
  • 봉랍 (bongnap)wax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Polish lak
  • lakwax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Portuguese lacre
  • lacrewax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Russian сургу́ч
  • сургу́ч (surgúč)wax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Scottish Gaelic cèir-sheulachaidh
  • cèir-sheulachaidhwax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Spanish lacre
  • lacrewax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Tagalog lakre
  • lakrewax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Turkish mühür mumu
  • mühür mumuwax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Ukrainian сургу́ч
  • сургу́ч (surhúč)wax formerly melted onto a letter to seal it
Cite this entry
APA

sealing wax. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sealing%20wax

MLA

“sealing wax.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sealing%20wax. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sealing wax,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sealing%20wax.

Source: sealing wax on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.