mould

1 BrE, mold AmE noun

1 (U) a soft green or black substance that grows on food which has been kept too long, and on objects that are in warm, wet air: Throw that bread away, there's mold on it. | There was mould on the bathroom ceiling.

—see also: leaf mould

2 (C) a hollow container that you pour liquid into, so that when the liquid becomes solid, it takes the shape of the container: a jelly mould | a candle mold

3 (singular) if someone is in, or fits into, a particular mould, they have all the attitudes, and qualities, typical of a certain type of person: a sex symbol in the traditional Hollywood mold | She didn't quite fit into the standard 'high-flying businesswoman' mould.

4 break the mould to change a situation completely, by doing something that has not been done before: an attempt to break the mould of British politics

2 BrE, mold AmE verb

1 (T) to shape a soft substance by pressing or rolling it or by putting it into a mould: mould sth into sth: Mould the sausage meat into little balls. | mold sth: moulded plastic piping

2 (T) to influence the way someone's character or attitudes develop: I enjoy working with children, helping to mold their young minds. | an attempt to mold public opinion

3 (I, T) to fit closely to the shape of something: Her wet dress was moulded to her body.