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definitions

mold

1
[mohld]
|
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noun

verb (used with object)

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RELATED WORDS

blight, mold, fashion, divide, hack, chisel, shape, slice, engrave, etch, sculpt, must, mustiness, trim, cleave, hew, indent, form, pattern, chip
Also especially British, mould.

Origin of mold

1
1175–1225; (noun) Middle English molde < Old French modle < Latin modulus module; (v.) Middle English, derivative of the noun
Related formsmold·a·ble, mould·a·ble, adjectivemold·a·bil·i·ty, mould·a·bil·i·ty, noun

mold

2
[mohld]

noun

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

verb (used with or without object)

to become or cause to become overgrown or covered with mold.
Also especially British, mould.

Origin of mold

2
1150–1200; late Middle English mowlde, apparently noun use of variant of earlier mowled, past participle of moulen, mawlen to grow moldy, cognate with dialectal Danish mugle

mold

3
[mohld]

noun

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

Origin of mold

3
before 900; Middle English, Old English molde earth, dust, ground; cognate with Gothic mulda dust; akin to meal2, mill1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mould

Contemporary Examples of mould

  • Tyler seems determined to force every line of his lengthy and detailed narrative into a mould that illustrates his basic theory.

    The Daily Beast logo
    Not a Useful Contribution

    Daniel Gavron

    October 1, 2012

Historical Examples of mould

British Dictionary definitions for mould

mould

1

US mold

noun

a shaped cavity used to give a definite form to fluid or plastic material
a frame on which something may be constructed
something shaped in or made on a mould
shape, form, design, or pattern
specific nature, character, or typeheroic mould

verb (tr)

to make in a mould
to shape or form, as by using a mould
to influence or directto mould opinion
to cling tothe skirt moulds her figure
metallurgy to make (a material such as sand) into a mould that is used in casting
Derived Formsmouldable or US moldable, adjectivemouldability or US moldability, noun

Word Origin for mould

C13 (n): changed from Old French modle, from Latin modulus a small measure, module

mould

2

US mold

noun

a coating or discoloration caused by various saprotrophic fungi that develop in a damp atmosphere on the surface of stored food, fabrics, wallpaper, etc
any of the fungi that causes this growth

verb

to become or cause to become covered with this growth
Also called: mildew

Word Origin for mould

C15: dialect (Northern English) mowlde mouldy, from the past participle of moulen to become mouldy, probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse mugla mould

mould

3

US mold

noun

loose soil, esp when rich in organic matter
poetic the earth

Word Origin for mould

Old English molde; related to Old High German molta soil, Gothic mulde

mold

noun, verb

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
Word Origin and History for mould

chiefly British English spelling of mold in various senses. Related: Moulded; moulding.

mold

n.1

also mould, "hollow shape," c.1200, originally "fashion, form; nature, native constitution, character," metathesized from Old French modle "model, plan, copy; way, manner" (12c., Modern French moule), from Latin modulum (nominative modulus) "measure, model," diminutive of modus "manner" (see mode (1)). From c.1300 as "pattern or model by which something is shaped or made." To break the mold "render impossible the creation of another" is from 1560s.

mold

n.2

also mould, "furry fungus," early 15c., probably from moulde, past participle of moulen "to grow moldy" (early 13c.), related to Old Norse mygla "grow moldy," possibly from Proto-Germanic *(s)muk- indicating "wetness, slipperiness," from PIE *meug- (see mucus). Or it might have evolved from (or been influenced by) Old English molde "loose earth" (see mold (n.3)).

mold

n.3

also mould, "loose earth," Old English molde "earth, sand, dust, soil; land, country, world," from Proto-Germanic *mulda (cf. Old Frisian molde "earth, soil," Old Norse mold "earth," Middle Dutch moude, Dutch moude, Old High German molta "dust, earth," Gothic mulda "dust"), from PIE root *mele- "to rub, grind" (see meal (n.2)). Specifically, since late (Christian) Old English, "the earth of the grave."

mold

v.

also mould, mid-14c., "to mix, blend;" late 14c. "to knead, shape," from mold (n.1). Figurative sense (of character, etc.) is from c.1600. Related: Molded; molding.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Science definitions for mould

mold

[mōld]

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.
Idioms and Phrases with mould

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.