molder

¹ American  

[mohl-der] / ˈmoʊl dər /

especially British, moulder

verb (used without object)

1. to turn to dust by natural decay; crumble; disintegrate; waste away.

   a house that had been left to molder.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to molder.

molder ² American  

[mohl-der] / ˈmoʊl dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that molds.

2. a person who makes molds.

3. Printing. one of a set of electrotyped plates used only for making duplicate electrotypes (worker ).

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molder British  

/ ˈməʊldə /

verb

1. the US spelling of moulder 1

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Other Word Forms

• unmoldered adjective
• unmoldering adjective

Etymology

Origin of molder¹

1525–35; obsolete mold to crumble (v. use of mold ³ ) + -er ⁶

Origin of molder²

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; mold ¹, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Yes, you really can go listen to the Converge albums left to molder on those Oakley sunglasses for who knows how long.

From The Verge • Jun. 24, 2022

Today, the tall white facades molder above shops old and new, the flaking stucco reliefs looking preposterous next to the brightly colored laundry draped over the balustrades.

From Washington Post • Apr. 22, 2022

Parents are fretting over their now-home-schooled children’s habits of carelessly snacking throughout the day or leaving half a precious banana to molder on the counter, uneaten.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2020

So much so that Franklin Roosevelt would cite Jackson as a vital molder of American culture.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2019

I maintain that nurture, rather than nature, is the primary molder of personality, but my father possessed a proud rebelliousness, a stubborn sense of fairness, that I recognize in myself.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• decompose