moulder

present singular third person moulders · participle present mouldering · participle past mouldered · past mouldered · alternative molder

1. Northern EnglandScotlandUKtransitiveOften followed by away or down: to cause (something) to decay or rot, or to crumble to pieces.

   [S]harp and corroding rheums had so early mouldered those rocks and hardest parts of his fabric [teeth], that a man might well conceive that his years were never like to double or twice tell over his teeth.

   1690, Thomas Browne, “A Letter to a Friend, upon Occasion of the Death of His Intimate Friend. Third Edition.”, in Simon Wilkin, editor, Sir Thomas Browne’s Works […], volume IV, London: William Pickering; Norwich, Norfolk: Josiah Fletcher, →OCLC, page 43

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   In a certaine kingdome of theſe late-diſcovered Indies, vpon the day of a ſolemne proceſſion, in vvhich the Idoles they adore, are publikely caried vpo and dovvne, […] there are numbered of others ſeene, vvho proſtrating themſelves alongſt vpon the ground, endure very paciently to be mouldred and cruſhed to death, vnder the Chariots vvheeles, thinking thereby to purchaſe after their death, a veneration of holineſſe, of vvhich they are not defrauded.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, “A Custome of the Ile of Cea”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 210

2. UKfigurativelyobsoletetransitiveTo cause (someone or something) to die away or disappear.

   How many men have we seen moulder and crumble away great estates, and yet pay no debts?

   a. 1632 (date written), John Donne, “Sermon IX. Preached on Candlemas Day.”, in Henry Alford, editor, The Works of John Donne, D.D., […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 174

3. UKintransitiveOften followed by away: to decay or rot, or to crumble to pieces.

   To them [the Muses] Great WILLIAM's Glory to recal / VVhen Statues moulder, and vvhen Arches fall.

   1700, [Matthew Prior], Carmen Saeculare, for the Year 1700. To the King, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 15

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   In buyldinge of a fortreſſe or other honorable mantion⸝ it aught to be well conſidered that the cement⸝ wherewith the ſtones be layde⸝ be firme and well bindynge. For if it be brokle ⁊ will mouldre a way with euery ſhowre of raine⸝ the buyldynge may nat contynewe⸝ […]

   1531, Thomas Elyot, “Of Constance or Stabilitie”, in The Boke Named the Governour […], London: […] Tho[mas] Bertheleti, →OCLC, 3rd boke, folio 220, verso

   [H]is [Time's] gradual touch / Has moulder'd into beauty many a tovver, / VVhich, vvhen it frovvn'd vvith all its battlements, / VVas only terrible: […]

   1772, W[illiam] Mason, The English Garden: A Poem, London: […] R. Horsfield, […], and H. Dunoyer, […]; also by W. Tessyman, […], →OCLC, 1st book, page 16

   Three hundred years of peace, enjoyed by the ſoft inhabitants of Aſia, had aboliſhed the exerciſe of arms, and removed the apprehenſion of danger. The ancient vvalls vvere ſuffered to moulder avvay, and all the revenue of the moſt opulent cities vvas referred for the conſtruction of baths, temples, and theatres.

   1776, Edward Gibbon, “The Emperors Decius, Gallus, Æmilianus, Valerian, and Gallienus—The General Irruption of the Barbarians—The Thirty Tyrants”, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC, page 268

   So well had the embalmers done their part / With spice and precious unguents, to imbue / The perfect corpse, that each had still the hue / Of living man, […] / The robes of royalty which once they wore, / Long since had mouldered off and left them bare: / Naked upon their thrones behold them there, / Statues of actual flesh, … a fearful sight!

   1810, Robert Southey, “The Ancient Sepulchres”, in The Curse of Kehama, London: […] [F]or Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], by James Ballantyne and Co. […], →OCLC, pages 176–177

   And when the public, which has not been insensible to the merits of "Sense and Sensibility," "Pride and Prejudice," "Mansfield Park," and "Emma," shall be informed that the hand which guided that pen is now mouldering in the grave, perhaps a brief account of Jane Austen will be read with a kindlier sentiment than simple curiosity.

   1817 December 20 (date written), Biographical Notice of the Author; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume I, London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC, page v

4. UKfigurativelyintransitiveTo die away, to disappear.

   Never man / So moulder'd in a sinecure as he: […]

   1847, Alfred Tennyson, “Prologue”, in The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 9

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   Let thoſe, vvho in theſe latter dayes haue ſo earneſtly laboured, to frame and eſtabliſh vnto vs, an exerciſe of religion and ſeruice of God, ſo contemplatiue and immaterial, vvonder nothing at all, if ſome be found, vvho thinke, it vvould haue eſcaped and mouldred avvay betvveene their fingers, if it had not held and continued amongſt vs, as a marke, a title and inſtrument of diuiſion and faction, more then by it ſelfe.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, “Of the Arte of Conferring”, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book III, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 557

   As to thoſe offerd condeſcenſions of Charitable connivence, or toleration, if vve conſider vvhat vvent before, and vvhat follovvs, they moulder into nothing.

   1649, J[ohn] Milton, “Intitl’d to the Prince of Wales”, in ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC, page 220

   [A]ll idea of serious opposition to the house of Hanover had long mouldered away; […]

   1816, [Walter Scott], chapter V, in The Antiquary. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, pages 99–100

   All I ask is to be left alone to moulder away in solitude.

   1915, Virginia Woolf, chapter XV, in The Voyage Out, London: Duckworth & Co., […], →OCLC, page 235

   To send them back: what have they to go back to? / To the stale food mouldering in the larder, / The stale thoughts mouldering in their minds.

   1949 August 22 (first performance), T[homas] S[tearns] Eliot, The Cocktail Party: A Comedy, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.; Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif.: Samuel French […], published 1950, →OCLC, Act II, page 98

5. UKfigurativelyintransitiveobsoleteOften followed by away: of a group of people (especially an army): to diminish in number; to dwindle.

   The other [preacher] finding his congregation mouldering every Sunday, and hearing at length what was the occasion of it, resolved to give his parish a little Latin in his turn; […]

   1711 November 23 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “MONDAY, November 13, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 221; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 109

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   The Corniſh Army vvas greater in Reputation, than Numbers; […] if they vvere compelled to march Eaſtvvards, to vvhich they vvere not inclined, it vvas to be doubted they vvould moulder avvay ſo faſt, that there vvould be little addition of ſtrength by it.

   1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, book VII, in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], volume II, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the [Sheldonian] Theater, page 310

plural moulders

1. UKarchaicA person who moulds dough into loaves for baking into bread.
2. UKbroadlyA person who moulds or shapes material into objects, especially clay into bricks, pottery, etc.

   It was, however, most interesting work, and the moulders themselves were a decent crowd, never tired of making jokes about themselves such as the hoary one that moulders did not live long, which however ran counter to the other one that no germs could live in a foundry—the atmosphere was too foul.

   1944 November and December, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—II”, in Railway Magazine, page 342

3. UKbroadlyAn instrument or machine used to mould or shape material into objects.
4. UKbroadlyfigurativelyA person or thing that influences or shapes; an influencer, a shaper.
5. UKartsA person who makes moulds for casting metal; a mouldmaker.

plural moulders

1. IrelandOrkneyShetlandUKalternativecountableuncountableAlternative spelling of mulder (“one or more crumbled pieces of food, especially oatcake; a crumb or crumbs”).
2. UKobsoleteuncountableSynonym of mould (“loose, friable soil”); also, dust.

   [B]y the ſenſe of our ayrie bodies we haue a more refined faculty of forſeeing, than men poſſibly can haue, that are chained to ſuch heauie earthlie moulder; […]

   1592, Thomas Nash[e], Pierce Penilesse His Supplication to the Deuill. […], London: […] [John Charlewood for] Richard Ihones, […], →OCLC, signature I, verso

   Synonyms: mould

1. UKobsoleterareuncountableSynonym of mould (“a natural substance in the form of a furry or woolly growth of tiny fungi that appears when organic material lies for a long time exposed to (usually warm and moist) air”)

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   [G]reat danger is to be apprehended to the health of the crews, and damage to the provisions and stores on board, from the damp state in which such ships must be in, for a long time after being taken out of the water. Houses, built with stone or mortar, saturated with salt-water, will continue damp for years; and, without almost constant fires, furniture, linen, silks, &c. &c. will be continually damaging, from moulder, rust, and mildew.

   1817, Isaac Blackburn, “On the Extraordinary Rapid Decay of Our Men of War, and the Causes Pointed Out”, in A Treatise on the Science of Ship-building; […], London: […] [Joyce Gold] for James Asperne, […], →OCLC, book II, pages 144–145

   Synonyms: mould

1. A surname.