mold 1 (m ld)n. 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. 1. To shape in or on a mold. 2. a. To form into a particular shape; give shape to. b. To guide or determine the growth or development of; influence: a teacher who helps to mold the minds of his students. 3. To fit closely by following the contours of. 4. To make a mold of or from (molten metal, for example) before casting. 5. To ornament with moldings. v.intr. To be shaped in or as if in a mold: 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. |
| mold 2 (mld) n. 1. Any of various fungi that often cause disintegration of organic matter. 2. The growth of such fungi. 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.] |
| mold 3 (mld) n. 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 mel  - in Indo-European roots.] |
mold [məʊld]
n & vb
the US spelling of mould
| mold (mld) 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. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  mold - the distinctive form in which a thing is made; "pottery of this cast was found throughout the region"solid - a three-dimensional shape |
| 2. |  mold - container into which liquid is poured to create a given shape when it hardenscontainer - 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 sandbox - mold consisting of a box with sand shaped to mold metal | |
| 3. |  mold - loose soil rich in organic matter | |
| 4. |  mold - the process of becoming mildewed | |
| 5. |  mold - a fungus that produces a superficial growth on various kinds of damp or decaying organic mattermucor - 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" dish - a particular item of prepared food; "she prepared a special dish for dinner" | |
| 7. | mold - a distinctive nature, character, or type; "a leader in the mold of her predecessors" | |
| 8. |  mold - sculpture produced by molding sculpture - a three-dimensional work of plastic art | |
| Verb | 1. |  mold - form in clay, wax, etc; "model a head with clay"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" |
| 2. | mold - become moldy; spoil due to humidity; "The furniture molded in the old house" 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"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" 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" carve - form by carving; "Carve a flower from the ice" 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 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" hand-build, handbuild, 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" | |
| 5. |  mold - fit tightly, follow the contours of; "The dress molds her beautiful figure" | |
| 6. | mold - shape or influence; give direction to; "experience often determines ability"; "mold public opinion" 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 |
Translations
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