moldy
UK[ˈməʊldi]US[ˈmoʊldi]
adj
covered with or smelling of mold (a fungus that grows on old food or damp surfaces)
adj
(informal) old-fashioned, boring, or no longer interesting
Morpheme Breakdown
mold
y
mold
fungus
y
adjective-forming suffix
Etymology
the word 'moldy' is a straightforward english formation. its first element, 'mold', entered middle english with the dual senses of 'loose, friable earth' and 'fungus growth', a semantic connection rooted in the perception of decay and crumbling. the second element is the prolific old english adjectival suffix '-y', meaning 'having the quality of'. therefore, the literal construction 'moldy' means 'having the quality of mold'. this directly describes the state of being covered in fungal growth, a clear sign of age and decay. the later informal sense of 'old-fashioned or stale' is a figurative extension of this core meaning, equating outdated ideas with physical rot.
Analysis
Structure: mold (fungus) + y (adjective-forming suffix)
mold (from middle english 'mowlde', likely of old norse origin, meaning 'loose earth' or 'fungus') + y (from old english '-ig', a suffix forming adjectives meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by').
Examples
he threw away the moldy bread from the back of the pantry.
the basement had a damp, moldy smell after the flood.
some of his jokes are just moldy old clichés.