{ Mold"er, Mould"er } (?), n. One who, or that which, molds or forms
into shape; specifically (Founding), one skilled in the art of making
molds for castings.
{ Mold"er, Mould"er, } v. i. [imp. & p. p. Moldered (?) or Mouldered;
p. pr. & vb. n. Moldering or Mouldering.] [From Mold fine soft earth:
cf. Prov. G. multern.] To crumble into small particles; to turn to dust
by natural decay; to lose form, or waste away, by a gradual separation
of the component particles, without the presence of water; to crumble
away.
The moldering of earth in frosts and sun.
Bacon.
When statues molder, and when arches fall.
Prior.
If he had sat still, the enemy's army would have moldered to
nothing.
Clarendon.
{ Mold"er, Mould"er, } v. t. To turn to dust; to cause to crumble; to
cause to waste away.
[Time's] gradual touch Has moldered into beauty many a tower.
Mason.
{ Mold"er*y, Mould"er*y } (?), a. Covered or filled with mold;
consisting of, or resembling, mold.
{ Mold"i*ness, Mould"i*ness } (?), n. [From Moldy.] The state of being
moldy.
{ Mold"ing, Mould"ing, } n. 1. The act or process of shaping in or on a
mold, or of making molds; the art or occupation of a molder.
2. Anything cast in a mold, or which appears to be so, as grooved or
ornamental bars of wood or metal.
3. (Arch.) A plane, or curved, narrow surface, either sunk or
projecting, used for decoration by means of the lights and shades upon
its surface. Moldings vary greatly in pattern, and are generally used
in groups, the different members of each group projecting or
retreating, one beyond another. See Cable, n., 3, and Crenelated
molding, under Crenelate, v. t.
{ Mold"ing, Mould"ing, } p. a. Used in making a mold or moldings; used
in shaping anything according to a pattern.
Molding, or Moulding, board. (a) See Follow board, under Follow, v. t.
(b) A board on which bread or pastry is kneaded and shaped. -- Molding,
or Moulding, machine. (a) (Woodworking) A planing machine for making
moldings. (b) (Founding) A machine to assist in making molds for
castings. -- Molding, or Moulding, mill, a mill for shaping timber. --
Molding, or Moulding, sand (Founding), a kind of sand containing clay,
used in making molds.
{ Mold"warp, Mould"warp } (?), n. [OE. moldwerp: AS. molde soil +
weorpan to throw up; cf. OD. molworp, G. maulwurf, Icel. moldvarpa,
Dan. muldvarp. See Mold soil, Warp, and cf. Mole the animal.] (Zoöl.)
See Mole the animal. Spenser.
{ Mold"y, Mould"y } (?), a. [Compar. Moldier (?) or Mouldier; superl.
Moldiest or Mouldiest.] [From Mold the growth of fungi.] Overgrown
with, or containing, mold; as, moldy cheese or bread.
Mole (?), n. [AS. ml; akin to OHG. meil, Goth. mail Cf. Mail a spot.]
1. A spot; a stain; a mark which discolors or disfigures. [Obs.] Piers
Plowman.
2. A spot, mark, or small permanent protuberance on the human body;
esp., a spot which is dark-colored, from which commonly issue one or
more hairs.
Mole, n. [L. mola.] A mass of fleshy or other more or less solid matter
generated in the uterus.
Mole, n. [F. môle, L. moles. Cf. Demolish, Emolument, Molest.] A mound
or massive work formed of masonry or large stones, etc., laid in the
sea, often extended either in a right line or an arc of a circle before
a port which it serves to defend from the violence of the waves, thus
protecting ships in a harbor; also, sometimes, the harbor itself.
Brande & C.
Mole, n. [OE. molle, either shortened fr. moldwerp, or from the root of
E. mold soil: cf. D. mol, OD. molworp. See Moldwarp.] 1. (Zoöl.) Any
insectivore of the family Talpidæ. They have minute eyes and ears, soft
fur, and very large and strong fore feet.
The common European mole, or moldwarp (Talpa Europæa), is noted for its
extensive burrows. The common American mole, or shrew mole (Scalops
aquaticus), and star- nosed mole (Condylura cristata) have similar
habits.
In the Scriptures, the name is applied to two unindentified animals,
perhaps the chameleon and mole rat.
2. A plow of peculiar construction, for forming underground drains.
[U.S.]
Duck mole. See under Duck. -- Golden mole. See Chrysochlore. -- Mole
cricket (Zoöl.), an orthopterous insect of the genus Gryllotalpa, which
excavates subterranean galleries, and throws up mounds of earth
resembling those of the mole. It is said to do damage by injuring the
roots of plants. The common European species (Gryllotalpa vulgaris),
and the American (G. borealis), are the best known. -- Mole rat
(Zoöl.), any one of several species of Old World rodents of the genera
Spalax, Georychus, and several allied genera. They are molelike in
appearance and habits, and their eyes are small or rudimentary. -- Mole
shrew (Zoöl.), any one of several species of short-tailed American
shrews of the genus Blarina, esp. B. brevicauda. -- Water mole, the
duck mole.
Mole, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Moled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Moling.] 1. To
form holes in, as a mole; to burrow; to excavate; as, to mole the
earth.