释义 |
▪ I. moulder, n.1|ˈməʊldə(r)| Also (now U.S.) molder. [f. mould v.2 + -er1.] 1. a. One who ‘moulds’ dough or bread.
c1440Promp. Parv. 342/1 Mooldare of paste (K., P. moldare of bred),..pistrio. c1475Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 809/11 Hic panificator, a mouldere. 1837Sir R. Philips in Whittock, etc. Bk. Trades (1842) 19 The dough..is..handed over to a second workman, who slices it with a large knife for the bakers, of whom there are five. The first, or the moulder, forms the biscuits two at a time; the second [etc.]. 1880Daily Tel. 24 Feb., To Bakers.—Wanted, a respectable young man. Good moulder. b. (See quot.)
1894Gloss. Terms Evidence R. Comm. Labour 58/1 in Parl. Papers 1893–4 (C. 7063) XXXVIII. 411 Moulders, men in the seed-crushing industry who draw the rolled seed from the fixture wherein it is made hot, and..subject it to a slight pressure. 2. a. One who is employed in making moulds for casting. b. One who moulds clay into bricks.
1535Coverdale Isa. xli. 7 The Smyth comforted the moulder, & the Ironsmyth the hammerman. 1599T. M[oufet] Silkwormes 24 Eu'n as a lumpe of rude and shapeless clay Into the mould a Moulder cunning brings. 1684E. Chamberlayne Present St. Eng. ii. (ed. 15) 225 There belong also to the Mint many officers and others, as melters, smiths..blanchers, moulders. 1847Smeaton Builder's Man. 23 Between five in the morning and eight at night, a good moulder will produce five thousand bricks. 1883T. D. West Amer. Foundry Pract. 27 Moulders frequently entertain the idea that the heavier the casting, the harder should be the surface of the mould. 3. transf. and fig.
1736Berkeley Disc. Wks. 1871 III. 424 Reformers, and new moulders of the constitution. 1846Grote Greece i. iii. I. 102 In the primitive..legend Prometheus is not the Creator or Moulder of man. 1892W. Pike North. Canada 142 Wonderful moulders of geography they [beavers] are. 4. An instrument for moulding; a mould. ? Obs.
1612Sturtevant Metallica xiii. 96 A Mould or Moulder is an artificiall instrument which mouldeth..the tempered earth. 1633D. Rogers Treat. Sacraments ii. 60 Better and holier ones than my selfe, such as stand with their moulders ready to catch any good speech! 1823New Monthly Mag. VIII. 503 The hill-side shall still ring with my song—the metal be fashioned in my moulder. ▪ II. † ˈmoulder, n.2 Obs. [? f. mould n.1 by association with moulder v.] Mould; clay; dust.
a1552[see moulded ppl. a.2]. 1592Nashe P. Penilesse (ed. 2) 37 b, Men,..that are chained to such heauie earthlie moulder. ▪ III. moulder, n.3 rare.|ˈməʊldə(r)| [? f. mould n.4 by association with moulder v.] Mould.
1817I. Blackburn Sci. Ship-building 145 Without almost constant fires, furniture, linen, silks, &c. &c. will be continually damaging, from moulder, rust, and mildew. ▪ IV. moulder, v.|ˈməʊldə(r)| Also 6 (9 dial.) mulder, (7 moudre, 8 muller, 9 dial. mooler), 6– (now U.S.) molder. [? f. mould n.1 + -er5; but cf. Norw. dial. muldra to crumble (trans. and refl.), G. multern to rot, grow mouldy. See also moulter v.2] 1. a. intr. To turn to dust by natural decay; to waste away; to crumble. Also with away, down.
1531Elyot Governour iii. xix. (1880) II. 316 It aught to be well considered that the cement..be firme... For if it be brokle, and will mouldre a way with euery showre of raine, the buyldynge may nat contynewe. 1565Jewel Repl. Harding (1611) 445 God..caused the Sacrament to mulder into ashes in his hands. 1579Tomson Calvin's Serm. Tim. 414/1 A thing moldred for verie age. 1616W. Forde Serm. 22 Thy house will shortly fall and moudre. a1674Clarendon Surv. Leviath. (1676) 171 Sand, that, assoon as you come to rest upon it, molders away to nothing. 1700Prior Carmen Seculare 459 When statues moulder, and when arches fall. 1776Gibson Decl. & F. x. I. 268 The ancient walls were suffered to moulder away. 1807J. Headrick Arran 40 Exposure to the air causes this limestone to moulder down. 1810Southey Kehama xvi. xi, The robes of royalty which once they wore Long since had moulder'd off and left them bare. 1851Borrow Lavengro xciv, Both gouty George and his devoted servant will be mouldering in their tombs. 1877Ruskin Arrows of Chace (1880) I. 236 Those traceries should be..left in reverence until they moulder away. b. fig.
1649Milton Eikon. xxvii. Wks. 1851 III. 511 As to those offerd condescensions..they moulder into nothing. 1679C. Nesse Antichrist 162 This Western empire was forsaken, which after molder'd into an ignoble exarchate. a1688Sir J. Lauder (Fountainhall) Hist. Notices Sc. Aff. (1848) 161 The use of Weapon-shawings is very ancient with us, and ware founded [etc.]..and then they mouldred away. 1758J. Rutty Spir. Diary (ed. 2) 110 O, how my friendships have mouldered! 1847Tennyson Princess Prol. 180 Never man, I think, So moulder'd in a sinecure as he. 2. transf. To be diminished in number; to dwindle. Said chiefly of armies. Also with away. Now rare or Obs.
a1674Clarendon Hist. Reb. viii. §73 If he had sat still the other great army would have mouldered to nothing. 1711Addison Spect. No. 221 ⁋5 The other [preacher] finding his Congregation mouldering every Sunday. 1769Junius Lett. i. (1770) 13 A gallant army..mouldering away for want of the direction of a man of common abilities. 1823Lingard Hist. Eng. (1827) III. ii. 127 (Funk) The Christian army..was mouldering away with disease on the sultry coast of Mauritania. 3. a. trans. To cause to crumble, fall to pieces, or decay. Also with away, down. Now rare or dial.
1649W. Blithe Eng. Improv. Impr. vi. 34 And so cut the Turfe, that the Soard may have all the Winters frost to wroxe, and moulder it. 1672Sir T. Browne Let. Friend §12 Sharp and corroding Rheums had so early mouldred those Rocks and hardest parts of his Fabrick [viz. his teeth]. 1752Scotland's Glory iii. (1786) 55 Those who once built Zion's walls are mouldering them to rubbish. 1807Wordsw. Let. to Lady Beaumont 21 May, Long after we..are mouldered in our graves. 1844H. Stephens Bk. Farm I. 596 A sudden frost..moulders down still more of the earth from both sides. 1892Northumbld. Gloss. s.v. Mooler. b. transf. and fig.
1603Florio Montaigne ii. iii. 210 To be mouldred and crushed to death, vnder the Chariots wheeles. a1631Donne Serm. ix. (1640) 88 How many men have we seene Molder and crumble away great Estates. 1759S. Fielding C'tess of Dellwyn II. 101 A Man who moulders away his Understanding. 1826E. Irving Spir. Econ. Scotl. Writ. 1865 III. 475 The causes which have..mouldered the excellency of our spiritual and moral institutions. 4. intr. To move off in an aimless or lifeless manner. rare.
1945E. Bowen Demon Lover 48, I mouldered off by myself..to watch the old clock. |