mold¹

(mōld)

1. A hollow form or matrix for shaping a fluid or plastic substance.

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

3. Something that is made in or shaped on a mold.

4. The shape or pattern of a mold.

5. General shape or form: the oval mold of her face.

6. Distinctive character or type: a leader in the mold of her predecessors.

7. A fixed or restrictive pattern or form: a method of scientific investigation that broke the mold and led to a new discovery.

8. Architecture See molding.

v. mold·ed, mold·ing, molds

v.tr.

a. To form (something) out of a fluid or plastic material: molded a cup out of clay.

b. To form into a particular shape; give shape to: molded the clay into a ball.

c. To guide or determine the growth or development of; influence: a teacher who helps to mold the minds of his students.

2. To fit closely by following the contours of (the body). Used of clothing.

v.intr.

To assume a certain shape: shoes that gradually molded to my feet.

[Middle English molde, from Old French modle, molle, from Latin modulus, diminutive of modus, measure; see med- in Indo-European roots.]

mold′a·ble adj.

mold′er n.

mold²

(mōld)

a. Any of various filamentous fungi that grow on and contribute to the decay of organic matter.

b. A growth of such fungi.

2. Any of various other saprophytic or parasitic organisms that resemble fungi, such as slime molds or water molds.

intr.v. mold·ed, mold·ing, molds

To become moldy.

[Middle English moulde, probably from past participle of moulen, to grow moldy, from Old Norse mygla.]

mold³

(mōld)

1. Loose friable soil, rich in humus and fit for planting.

2. Chiefly British

a. The earth; the ground.

b. The earth of the grave.

3. Archaic Earth as the substance of the human body.

[Middle English, from Old English molde; see melə- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mold

(məʊld)

n, vb

the US spelling of mould¹

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mold¹

(moʊld)

n.

1. a hollow form for giving a particular shape to something in a molten or plastic state.

2. the shape imparted 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; form.

6. prototype; precursor.

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

8. Archit. a molding.

v.t.

9. to work into a required shape or form; shape.

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

11. Metall. to form a mold of or from, in order to make a casting.

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

13. to have influence in determining or forming.

14. to ornament with moldings.

Also, esp. Brit., mould.

[1175–1225; < Old French modle < Latin modulus module]

mold′a•ble, adj.

mold′er, n.

mold²

(moʊld)

n.

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; mildew.

v.t.

3. to cause to become overgrown with mold.

v.i.

4. to become overgrown with mold.

Also, esp. Brit., mould.

[1150–1200; late Middle English mowlde, appar. n. use of variant of earlier mowled, past participle of moulen, mawlen to grow moldy]

mold³

(moʊld)

n.

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

2. Brit. Dial. ground; earth.

Also, esp. Brit., mould.

[before 900; Middle English, Old English molde earth, dust, ground; akin to meal², mill¹]

mold

(mōld)

Any of various fungi that often form a fuzzy growth 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 drugs like penicillin were developed.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mold

Past participle: molded
Gerund: molding

Imperative
mold
mold

Present
I mold
you mold
he/she/it molds
we mold
you mold
they mold

Preterite
I molded
you molded
he/she/it molded
we molded
you molded
they molded

Present Continuous
I am molding
you are molding
he/she/it is molding
we are molding
you are molding
they are molding

Present Perfect
I have molded
you have molded
he/she/it has molded
we have molded
you have molded
they have molded

Past Continuous
I was molding
you were molding
he/she/it was molding
we were molding
you were molding
they were molding

Past Perfect
I had molded
you had molded
he/she/it had molded
we had molded
you had molded
they had molded

Future
I will mold
you will mold
he/she/it will mold
we will mold
you will mold
they will mold

Future Perfect
I will have molded
you will have molded
he/she/it will have molded
we will have molded
you will have molded
they will have molded

Future Continuous
I will be molding
you will be molding
he/she/it will be molding
we will be molding
you will be molding
they will be molding

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been molding
you have been molding
he/she/it has been molding
we have been molding
you have been molding
they have been molding

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been molding
you will have been molding
he/she/it will have been molding
we will have been molding
you will have been molding
they will have been molding

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been molding
you had been molding
he/she/it had been molding
we had been molding
you had been molding
they had been molding

Conditional
I would mold
you would mold
he/she/it would mold
we would mold
you would mold
they would mold

Past Conditional
I would have molded
you would have molded
he/she/it would have molded
we would have molded
you would have molded
they would have molded

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	mold - the distinctive form in which a thing is made; "pottery of this cast was found throughout the region" stamp, mould, cast solid - a three-dimensional shape
	2.	mold - container into which liquid is poured to create a given shape when it hardens cast, mould container - any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another) form - a mold for setting concrete; "they built elaborate forms for pouring the foundation" matrix - mold used in the production of phonograph records, type, or other relief surface pig bed, pig - mold consisting of a bed of sand in which pig iron is cast sandbox - mold consisting of a box with sand shaped to mold metal
	3.	mold - loose soil rich in organic matter mould dirt, soil - the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock leaf mold, leaf mould, leaf soil - soil composed mainly of decaying leaves
	4.	mold - the process of becoming mildewed mildew, mould spoiling, spoilage - the process of becoming spoiled
	5.	mold - a fungus that produces a superficial growth on various kinds of damp or decaying organic matter mould mucor - any mold of the genus Mucor rhizopus - any of various rot causing fungi of the genus Rhizopus water mold - parasitic or saprobic organisms living chiefly in fresh water or moist soil fungus - an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia
	6.	mold - a dish or dessert that is formed in or on a mold; "a lobster mold"; "a gelatin dessert made in a mold" mould dish - a particular item of prepared food; "she prepared a special dish for dinner" afters, dessert, sweet - a dish served as the last course of a meal
	7.	mold - a distinctive nature, character, or type; "a leader in the mold of her predecessors" mould hallmark, stylemark, trademark, earmark - a distinctive characteristic or attribute
	8.	mold - sculpture produced by molding clay sculpture, modeling, moulding, molding, mould sculpture - a three-dimensional work of plastic art
Verb	1.	mold - form in clay, wax, etc; "model a head with clay" mould, model artistic creation, artistic production, art - the creation of beautiful or significant things; "art does not need to be innovative to be good"; "I was never any good at art"; "he said that architecture is the art of wasting space beautifully" shape, mould, mold, form, forge, work - make something, usually for a specific function; "She molded the rice balls carefully"; "Form cylinders from the dough"; "shape a figure"; "Work the metal into a sword"
	2.	mold - become moldy; spoil due to humidity; "The furniture molded in the old house" mildew change - undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" smut - become affected with smut; "the corn smutted and could not be eaten" dry-rot - affect or be affected with dry rot
	3.	mold - form by pouring (e.g., wax or hot metal) into a cast or mold; "cast a bronze sculpture" mould, cast shape, mould, mold, form, forge, work - make something, usually for a specific function; "She molded the rice balls carefully"; "Form cylinders from the dough"; "shape a figure"; "Work the metal into a sword" press out, press - press from a plastic; "press a record" remold, remould, recast - cast again; "The bell cracked and had to be recast" sand cast - pour molten metal into a mold of sand
	4.	mold - make something, usually for a specific function; "She molded the rice balls carefully"; "Form cylinders from the dough"; "shape a figure"; "Work the metal into a sword" shape, mould, form, forge, work carve - form by carving; "Carve a flower from the ice" swage, upset - form metals with a swage chip - form by chipping; "They chipped their names in the stone" layer - make or form a layer; "layer the different colored sands" cut out - form and create by cutting out; "Picasso cut out a guitar from a piece of paper" machine - turn, shape, mold, or otherwise finish by machinery grind - shape or form by grinding; "grind lenses for glasses and cameras" stamp - form or cut out with a mold, form, or die; "stamp needles" puddle - subject to puddling or form by puddling; "puddle iron" beat - shape by beating; "beat swords into ploughshares" create from raw material, create from raw stuff - make from scratch preform - form or shape beforehand or determine the shape of beforehand preform - form into a shape resembling the final, desired one mound - form into a rounded elevation; "mound earth" hill - form into a hill roughcast - shape roughly remold, reshape - shape again or shape differently sinter - cause (ores or powdery metals) to become a coherent mass by heating without melting mould, mold, cast - form by pouring (e.g., wax or hot metal) into a cast or mold; "cast a bronze sculpture" throw - make on a potter's wheel; "she threw a beautiful teapot" handbuild, hand-build, coil - make without a potter's wheel; "This famous potter hand-builds all of her vessels" work on, work, process - shape, form, or improve a material; "work stone into tools"; "process iron"; "work the metal" sculpt, sculpture - create by shaping stone or wood or any other hard material; "sculpt a swan out of a block of ice" mold, mould, model - form in clay, wax, etc; "model a head with clay"
	5.	mold - fit tightly, follow the contours of; "The dress molds her beautiful figure" cling, cohere, adhere, cleave, stick - come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation; "The dress clings to her body"; "The label stuck to the box"; "The sushi rice grains cohere"
	6.	mold - shape or influence; give direction to; "experience often determines ability"; "mold public opinion" shape, determine, influence, regulate dispose, incline - make receptive or willing towards an action or attitude or belief; "Their language inclines us to believe them" disincline, indispose - make unwilling miscreate - shape or form or make badly; "Our miscreated fantasies" carry weight - have influence to a specified degree; "Her opinion carries a lot of weight" decide - influence or determine; "The vote in New Hampshire often decides the outcome of the Presidential election" reshape - shape anew or differently; "The new foreign minister reshaped the foreign policy of his country" time - set the speed, duration, or execution of; "we time the process to manufacture our cars very precisely" index - adjust through indexation; "The government indexes wages and prices" pace - regulate or set the pace of; "Pace your efforts" predetermine - determine beforehand cause, do, make - give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally; "cause a commotion"; "make a stir"; "cause an accident"