molt

play

verb \ ˈmōlt \

Definition of molt

intransitive verb

:to shed hair, feathers, shell, horns, or an outer layer periodically

Birds molt once or twice a year.

transitive verb

:to cast off (an outer covering) periodically; specifically :to throw off (the old cuticle (see cuticle 1) —used of arthropods

a spider, like a lobster, molts its covering as it grows
—Eugene Kinkead

—

molter

noun

See molt defined for English-language learners

See molt defined for kids

Examples of molt in a Sentence

Snakes molt as they grow, shedding the old skin and growing a larger new skin.
a crab molts its shell as it grows larger

Recent Examples of molt from the Web

Try crayfish patterns with molting craws more prevalent.

— sacbee, "Stripers and kings are bringing smiles to anglers in some north-state waters," 19 Aug. 2017
Jones said the larval ticks then molt into infected nymphs that can infect humans the following year.

— lindsey bever, Washington Post, "Why this adorable mouse is to blame for the spread of Lyme disease," 17 July 2017
But the outer layer of his skin molted from 70 percent of his body, and his body shut down in the same sequence that Ouchi’s had.

— patrick malone, Science | AAAS, "A near-disaster at a federal nuclear weapons," 29 June 2017
A horde of awful gypsy moths is hatching, feeding, molting, spawning.

— beth kephart, chicagotribune.com, "Review: Julia Fierro's 'The Gypsy Moth Summer' echoes 'Gatsby'," 26 June 2017
A cicada is stuck in its exoskeleton after molting in Herndon, Va. (Kevin Ambrose)

— kevin ambrose, Washington Post, "Why are these enormous cicadas crawling out of the ground early? An expert explains.," 24 May 2017
One of the shrimp in the tank has molted and doubled in size.

— ben raines | braines@al.com, AL.com, "Watch pistol-packing shrimp have a gunfight," 16 May 2017
The old feathers might have compromised their ability to stay permanently aloft, or their inability to molt fully might reflect some underlying health problem that affected their flight.

— National Geographic, "These Birds Fly Almost a Year Without Landing," 27 Oct. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'molt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of molt

alteration of Middle English mouten, from Old English -mūtian to change, from Latin mutare — more at mutable

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

molt Synonyms

Synonyms

exfoliate, shed, slip, slough (also sluff)

Related Words

flake, peel, scale; chuck, discard, ditch, fling (off or away), jettison, junk, scrap, shuck (off), throw away, throw out, unload

Other Insect Terms

drone, entomology, gadfly, pismire, proboscis, vespine

molt

noun

Definition of molt

:the act or process of molting; specifically :ecdysis

Recent Examples of molt from the Web

After the crustaceans molt, they're shipped off to become softshell crab sandwiches in Baltimore or New York.

— scott dance, baltimoresun.com, "At Smith Island, a chance to shore up the future," 8 July 2017
The dark coloring is a result of the fresh exoskeleton forming underneath, which can be seen after the spider's molt.

— National Geographic, "Watch a Tarantula Crawl Out of Its Own Skeleton," 24 May 2017
Growing larger causes spiders to molt, a process called ecdysis, Jo-Anne Sewlal, an arachnologist at the University of the West Indies, says via email.

— liz langley, National Geographic, "Watch This Huge Tarantula Wriggle Out of Its Skin," 22 Apr. 2017

Origin and Etymology of molt

see ¹molt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1815

See Words from the same year

Other Insect Terms

drone, entomology, gadfly, pismire, proboscis, vespine

MOLT Defined for English Language Learners

molt

play

verb

Definition of molt for English Language Learners

biology : to lose a covering of hair, feathers, etc., and replace it with new growth in the same place

MOLT Defined for Kids

molt

play

verb \ ˈmōlt \

Definition of molt for Students

molted; molting

:to shed outer material (as hair, shell, or horns) that will be replaced by a new growth

Medical Dictionary

molt

play

intransitive verb \ ˈmōlt \

variants: or chiefly British moult

medical Definition of molt

:to shed hair, feathers, shell, horns, or an outer layer periodically

transitive verb

:to cast off (an outer covering) periodically; specifically :to throw off (the old cuticle) —used of arthropods

molt

noun

variants: or chiefly British moult

medical Definition of molt

:the act or process of molting; specifically :ecdysis

Learn More about molt

See words that rhyme with molt Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for molt Spanish Central: Translation of molt Nglish: Translation of molt for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of molt for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about molt

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Examples of molt in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of molt

molt Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Insect Terms

molt

Definition of molt

Recent Examples of molt from the Web

Origin and Etymology of molt

Other Insect Terms

MOLT Defined for English Language Learners

molt

Definition of molt for English Language Learners

MOLT Defined for Kids

molt

Definition of molt for Students

Medical Dictionary

molt

medical Definition of molt

molt

medical Definition of molt

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