[no obj.][often as adj. mouldering]slowly decay or disintegrate, especially because of neglect (尤指因长期被疏忽)腐烂;碎裂 there was a mushroomy smell of disuse and mouldering books. 有一股因长年弃置不用和发霉书籍带来的蘑菇般气味。 I couldn't permit someone of your abilities to moulder away in a backwater. 我不能允许像你这样有能力的人在死气沉沉的地方荒废下去。
语源
mid 16th cent.: perhaps from mould, but compare with Norwegian dialect muldra 'crumble'