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[mohld] /moʊld/
the shape created or imparted to a thing by a mold.
something formed in or on a mold:
a mold of jelly.
a frame on which something is formed or made.
shape or form.
a prototype, example, or precursor.
a distinctive nature, character, or type:
a person of a simple mold.
  1. a three-dimensional pattern used to shape a plate after it has been softened by heating.
  2. a template for a frame.
  1. a molding.
  2. a group of moldings.
verb (used with object)
to work into a required shape or form; shape.
to shape or form in or on a mold.
Metallurgy. to form a mold of or from, in order to make a casting.
to produce by or as if by shaping material; form.
to have influence in determining or forming:
to mold the character of a child.
to ornament with moldings.
Also, especially British, mould.
Origin of mold1
1175-1225; (noun) Middle English molde < Old French modle < Latin modulus module; (v.) Middle English, derivative of the noun
Related forms
moldable, mouldable, adjective
moldability, mouldability, noun


[mohld] /moʊld/
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.
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


[mohld] /moʊld/
loose, friable earth, especially when rich in organic matter and favorable to the growth of plants.
British Dialect. ground; earth.
Also, especially British, mould.
before 900; Middle English, Old English molde earth, dust, ground; cognate with Gothic mulda dust; akin to meal2, mill1 Unabridged
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British Dictionary definitions for mold


noun, verb
the US spelling of mould1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for mold






Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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mold in Medicine

mold 1 (mōld)

  1. A shaped receptacle into which material is pressed or poured in making a cast.

  2. A frame around which something is formed or shaped.

  3. The shape of an artificial tooth or teeth.

v. mold·ed, mold·ing, molds
  1. To shape a mass of plastic material in or on a mold.

  2. To change in shape. Used especially of the adaptation of the fetal head to the pelvic canal.

mold'a·ble adj.

mold 2
Any of various filamentous fungi, generally a circular colony having a woolly or furry appearance, that grow on the surface of organic matter and contribute to its disintegration.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
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mold in Science
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
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Idioms and Phrases with mold
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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