Molden

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. A proper noun used as a family name or as the name of a small settlement in Austria
2. A surname of German or Austrian origin, also borne by a small village in the Tyrolean Alps
3. Used as a family name, and also given to a minor locality in the Austrian countryside

Etymology: "Molden" is a verb meaning to become mold, or to cause something to grow mold. It is formed from the noun "mold" with the verbal suffix "-en", a pattern English uses to turn nouns and adjectives into verbs, as in "widen", "soften" and "harden". The same pattern produces "moulden" in British spelling, so the word follows the familiar shape of countless English verbs built on a simple base.