What does "mould" mean?
Commonwealth standard spelling of mold.
Mould
/moʊld/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Commonwealth standard spelling of mold.
- Grammar: mould is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: mold, accommodate, accommodate with, accord.
- Useful contrasts: destroy, ignore, neglect.
- Usage evidence: Situation seems to be the mould in which men's characters are formed.
How to use "mould"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mould" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "mould" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "mould" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "mould" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "mould" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mold" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "mould", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Commonwealth standard spelling of mold. countable, uncountable
"The portals are being constructed in situ, using a moveable mould that is made up of three parts. The inner form traveller supports the weight of the steel rebar and concrete as it is being poured and forms the inner shape of the portal. The external shape is formed by wall sections (assembled in situ) and a moveable arch-shaped outer section."
- 2 Commonwealth spelling of mold (“growth of tiny fungi”). countable, uncountable
- 3 Commonwealth spelling of mold (“loose soil”).
- 4 Commonwealth spelling of mold (“top of the head”).
- 5 container into which liquid is poured to create a given shape when it hardens wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 sculpture produced by molding wordnet
- 7 a distinctive nature, character, or type wordnet
- 8 a dish or dessert that is formed in or on a mold wordnet
- 9 a fungus that produces a superficial growth on various kinds of damp or decaying organic matter wordnet
- 10 the process of becoming mildewed wordnet
- 11 the distinctive form in which a thing is made wordnet
- 12 loose soil rich in organic matter wordnet
Verb
- 1 Commonwealth standard spelling of mold.
"Atlantic gales constantly buffet Morwenstow, whose seven hamlets together constitute Cornwall's most northerly parish. The village is dotted with trees moulded into weird shapes by the wind, and above the trees rise the vicarage chimneystacks resembling miniature church towers."
- 2 Commonwealth spelling of mold (“to cause to become mouldy”).
- 3 become moldy; spoil due to humidity wordnet
- 4 shape or influence; give direction to wordnet
- 5 fit tightly, follow the contours of wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 make something, usually for a specific function wordnet
- 7 form by pouring (e.g., wax or hot metal) into a cast or mold wordnet
- 8 form in clay, wax, etc wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Situation seems to be the mould in which men's characters are formed."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mould"?
Common synonyms include: mold, accommodate, accommodate with, accord, acres, adapt.
How do you use "mould" in a sentence?
Situation seems to be the mould in which men's characters are formed.
How do you pronounce "mould"?
Pronounced /moʊld/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Via Middle English molde, moulde (“mould, cast”) and Old French modle, from Latin modulus.
Etymology 2
From Middle English mowlde, noun use and alteration of mowled, past participle of moulen, mawlen (“to grow mouldy”), from Old Norse mygla (compare dialectal Danish mugle), from Proto-Germanic *muglōną, diminutive and denominative of *mukiz (“soft substance”) (compare Old Norse myki, mykr (“cow dung”)), from Proto-Indo-European *mewk- (“slick, soft”). More at muck and meek.
Etymology 3
From Old English molde. Cognate with Old High German molta, Old Norse mold and Gothic 𐌼𐌿𐌻𐌳𐌰 (mulda).
Etymology 4
English surname, from the Middle English personal name Mauld, reduced from Anglo-Norman Mathilde, a form of the name Matilda. This was a learned borrowing much less common than the vernacular forms Mahalt, Maud and the reduced pet form Till.