mold

1
[ mohld ]
See synonyms for: moldmoldedmoldingmoldability on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. something formed in or on a mold: a mold of jelly.

  2. a frame on which something is formed or made.

  3. shape or form.

  4. a prototype, example, or precursor.

  5. a distinctive nature, character, or type: a person of a simple mold.

  6. Shipbuilding.

    • a three-dimensional pattern used to shape a plate after it has been softened by heating.

    • a template for a frame.

  7. Architecture.

verb (used with object)
  1. to work into a required shape or form; shape.

  2. to shape or form in or on a mold.

  1. Metallurgy. to form a mold of or from, in order to make a casting.

  2. to produce by or as if by shaping material; form.

  3. to have influence in determining or forming: to mold the character of a child.

  4. to ornament with moldings.

Origin of mold

1
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; see also mode
  • Also especially British, mould .

Other words from mold

  • mold·a·ble, mould·a·ble, adjective
  • mold·a·bil·i·ty, mould·a·bil·i·ty, noun

Words Nearby mold

Other definitions for mold (2 of 3)

mold2
[ 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.

Origin of mold

2
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”
  • Also especially British, mould .

Other definitions for mold (3 of 3)

mold3
[ mohld ]

noun
  1. loose, friable earth, especially when rich in organic matter and favorable to the growth of plants.

  2. British Dialect. ground; earth.

Origin of mold

3
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 meal2, mill1
  • Also especially British, mould .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use mold in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mold

mold

/ (məʊld) /


noun, verb
  1. the US spelling of mould 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for mold

mold

[ mōld ]


  1. Any of various fungi that often form a fuzzy growth (called a mycelium) on the surface of organic matter. Some molds cause food to spoil, but others are beneficial, such as those used to make certain cheeses and those from which antibiotics like penicillin are developed. The molds do not form a distinct phylogenetic grouping but belong to various phyla including the ascomycetes and the zygomycetes. See also slime mold.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with mold

mold

see cast in the same mold.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.