molding

noun

mold·​ing ˈmōl-diŋ 

1

: an object produced by molding

2

a

: a decorative recessed or relieved surface

b

: a decorative plane or curved strip used for ornamentation or finishing

Illustration of molding

• 1 fillet and fascia
• 2 torus
• 3 reeding
• 4 cavetto
• 5 scotia
• 6 congé
• 7 beak

Examples of molding in a Sentence

The house has beautiful moldings around its doors and windows.

Recent Examples on the Web

Throw it out when the liquid gets wispy (molding) or starts to smell like acetone (fermenting). —Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 28 June 2025

And the apartment, located on the first floor of a prewar co-op, has ten-foot ceilings, period moldings, hardwood floors, and large south-facing windows at one end of the 18-foot-long living and dining room with an open kitchen at the other end. —Kim Velsey, Curbed, 17 June 2025

Ornate molding, still somehow well-defined, as if milled yesterday. —Literary Hub, 10 June 2025

Felicia reaches up and runs her hand along the top of the molding. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 29 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing molding

• bed molding
• crown molding
• injection molding

Rhymes for molding

• folding
• holding
• moulding
• scolding
• beholding
• enfolding
• landholding
• refolding
• shareholding
• slaveholding
• stockholding
• unfolding

Kids Definition

molding

noun

mold·​ing ˈmōl-diŋ 

1

a

: the act or work of a person who molds

b

: an object produced by molding

2

: a strip of material having a shaped surface and used as a decoration (as on a wall or the edge of a table)

Medical Definition

molding

noun

mold·​ing

variants or chiefly British moulding

ˈmōl-diŋ 

: an act or process of molding

specifically : the shaping of the fetal head to allow it to pass through the birth canal during childbirth