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

There are arched niches and wall moldings around the floor perimeter, and a mix of traditional Parisian design elements. —Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 6 June 2025

With its frescoed ceilings, ornate moldings and gilding, and rococo furnishings, Palazzo Shedir sprawls for more than 10,000 square feet over three floors. —Erica Firpo, AFAR Media, 29 May 2025

It was certainly renovated to their particular, ostentatious tastes: Beyond the chandeliers and gold molding, the primary bath is swathed in floor-to-ceiling onyx. —Kim Velsey, Curbed, 27 May 2025

Basketball’s true mountain climbers create their own standalone moments from May molding. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 18 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