moulder
verb /ˈməʊldə(r)/
/ˈməʊldər/
(US English molder)
[intransitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they moulder | /ˈməʊldə(r)/ /ˈməʊldər/ |
| he / she / it moulders | /ˈməʊldəz/ /ˈməʊldərz/ |
| past simple mouldered | /ˈməʊldəd/ /ˈməʊldərd/ |
| past participle mouldered | /ˈməʊldəd/ /ˈməʊldərd/ |
| -ing form mouldering | /ˈməʊldərɪŋ/ /ˈməʊldərɪŋ/ |
- to decay (= become destroyed by natural processes) slowly and steadily
- The room smelt of disuse and mouldering books.
Word Originmid 16th cent.: perhaps from mould ‘soft loose earth’, but compare with Norwegian dialect muldra ‘crumble’.