a white, waxy fat obtained from the fruit of several Asiatic sumacs (esp. Toxicodendron verniciflua and T. succedanea), used in lubricants, polishes, etc.
See Japan wax in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
A pale yellow solid wax obtained from the berries of certain plant species of the genus Rhus and used in wax matches, soaps, and food packaging and as a substitute for beeswax.