A hollow form or matrix for shaping a fluid or plastic substance.
"The sculptor carefully carved details into the wet clay mold to capture the exact shape of his client's face and hairline."
A natural substance in the form of a woolly or furry growth of tiny fungi that appears when organic material lies for a long time exposed to (usually warm and moist) air.
Loose friable soil, rich in humus and fit for planting.
The top or crown of the head.
In plain English: Mold is a type of fuzzy fungus that grows on damp food and other surfaces, often making them look dirty or cause them to spoil.
"The damp basement became covered in black mold after the pipes burst."
Usage: Use "mold" as the noun when referring to fuzzy fungal growth, while reserving its verb forms specifically for shaping materials in that same context. Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words by remembering this term always relates to either organic decay or physical casting processes.
To shape in or on a mold; to form into a particular shape; to give shape to.
"The old windowsill had begun to darken as it slowly molded over in dust and grime."
To cause to become moldy; to cause mold to grow upon.
To cover with mold or soil.
In plain English: To mold something means to shape it into a specific form by pressing, heating, or cooling it until it takes on that new structure.
"The damp basement smells like mold growing on the old wooden beams."
A town in and the county town of Flintshire, Wales (OS grid ref SJ2364).
"The ancient ruins at Mold stand as a testament to its history as the historic county town of Flintshire."
The word mold comes from the Latin modus, meaning "measure" or "size," which entered Middle English as molde to refer to a cast made in that measure. It traveled into modern usage with this same core idea of shaping something according to a specific form.