Already the moon had risen, a flake of waxy alabaster in a blue sky thin with light.

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Initially, it is a soft, foul-smelling matter that floats on the ocean but through exposure to the sun and the salt water over years it turns into a smooth lump of compact rock which feels waxy and has a sweet smell.

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The fancy-leaf begonias have a quieter appeal than their waxy sistren, with a chic Victorian quality that makes you forgive them for being more finicky as a houseplant.

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At a reduced flow, oil in the pipeline can freeze or form into a waxy buildup, raising the risk of interruptions and spills.

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But we still turn to the little waxy rods for light in a pinch, or to set the mood on a romantic night.

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They brought her news of her old neighborhood in Wichita, and of their ailing siblings, and a box of waxy chocolates from the local candymaker.

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Water hyacinth grows into a thick bed of waxy leaves and violet flowers that cover the surface of the lake.

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They pack a more intense tomato flavor than any of the pink waxy hybrids you find at the supermarket.

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At once a soap opera and an anti-soap, the show was an assault on a TV-addled audience, with its heroine becoming as alarmed by the waxy yellow buildup on her kitchen floor as she was by the revelation that her grandfather was the notorious Fernwood flasher.

NEWYORKER: Tune in Next Week