mold

¹

[ mohld ]

noun

1. a hollow form or matrix for giving a particular shape to something in a molten or plastic state.
2. the shape created or imparted to a thing by a mold.
3. something formed in or on a mold:

   a mold of jelly.

4. a frame on which something is formed or made.
5. shape or form.
6. a prototype, example, or precursor.
7. a distinctive nature, character, or type:

   a person of a simple mold.

8. Shipbuilding.
   1. a three-dimensional pattern used to shape a plate after it has been softened by heating.
   2. a template for a frame.
9. Architecture.
   1. a molding.
   2. a group of moldings.

verb (used with object)

1. to work into a required shape or form; shape.
2. to shape or form in or on a mold.
3. Metallurgy. to form a mold of or from, in order to make a casting.
4. to produce by or as if by shaping material; form.
5. to have influence in determining or forming:

   to mold the character of a child.

6. to ornament with moldings.

mold

²

[ mohld ]

noun

1. a growth of minute fungi forming on vegetable or animal matter, commonly as a downy or furry coating, and associated with decay or dampness.
2. any of the fungi that produce such a growth.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to become or cause to become overgrown or covered with mold.

mold

³

[ mohld ]

noun

1. loose, friable earth, especially when rich in organic matter and favorable to the growth of plants.
2. British Dialect. ground; earth.

mold

/ məʊld /

noun

1. the US spelling of mould 1

Other Words From

• molda·ble moulda·ble adjective
• molda·bili·ty moulda·bili·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mold¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English noun molde, moulde “pattern, model, mold,” from Anglo-French molde, from Old French molle, modle, moule, from Latin modulus “standard unit (of measurement)”; the verb is derivative of the noun; mode

Origin of mold²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English moulde, molde, apparently noun use of variant of earlier (i)mouled, moueld, past participle of moule(n), muhlen “to grow moldy, spoil, rot”; from Old Norse; compare Old Icelandic mygla, Swedish mögla, both meaning “to become moldy”

Origin of mold³

First recorded before 900; Middle English molde, moulde, mulde “dirt, loose earth, soil; earth or soil of a grave,” Old English molde “dust, sand, earth, the earth”; cognate with Gothic mulda “dust,” Old Icelandic mold “earth, mold,” Old High German molta “dust”; akin to meal ², mill ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see cast in the same mold .

Example Sentences

To scholars of authoritarianism, asserting a high degree of personal control over the military is typical of global strongmen in the mold of Syria’s Bashar Assad or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

From Los Angeles Times

That blank spot was a mold—a mold that was producing the lifesaving drug penicillin.

From Slate

"There's a few things working against us. We're talking about waste, we're talking about mold. If you say 'mold-fermented waste,' I think people will be really turned off and disgusted," he said.

From Salon

As the mold digests the proteins and starch within the fibrous pulp, it also breaks down the cellulose, turning what remains into a dish beloved by many across western Indonesia.

From Salon

Before long, Hill-Maini would like to see fungal fermentation incorporated into food manufacturing facilities and any emerging refuse immediately transformed by mold.

From Salon

Related Words

• cavity