wax and wane

短语

月的盈亏, 圆缺, (喻)盛衰

词形变化

waxes and wanes 三单 waxing and waning 现在分词 waxed and waned 过去式 waxed and waned 过去分词

释义与例句

v.
  1. 1.

    To progress cyclically through various phases, such as growth and senescence.

  2. 2.

    To alternate; to increase and diminish in turn.

    The manifestation of such philosophy seemed to wax and wane, being the most common one time, but virtually without followers at another, apparently disappearing.

词源

Literally, “grow and shrink”. Compare wax with the German cognate wachsen (“to grow”). Originally (ca. 14th century) used referring to the phases of the Moon. Folk etymology has occasionally mistakenly presumed the phrase to be a reference to candles, under the notion that they are produced by applying wax to a wick and then begin to wane once they are lit.

来源：wiktionary