molt
verb
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Definition of molt
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to shed hair, feathers, shell, horns, or an outer layer periodically Birds molt once or twice a year.
: to cast off (an outer covering) periodically specifically : to throw off (the old cuticle (see cuticle sense 1) —used of arthropods a spider, like a lobster, molts its covering as it grows — Eugene Kinkead
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Synonyms for molt
Synonyms: Verb
exfoliate, shed, slip, slough (also sluff)
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Examples of molt in a Sentence
Verb
Snakes molt as they grow, shedding the old skin and growing a larger new skin. a crab molts its shell as it grows largerRecent Examples on the Web: Verb
The Weddell seals were already finished molting, so the scene was much cleaner. — Kasha Patel, Smithsonian, "How Data-Gathering Seals Help Scientists Measure the Melting Antarctic," 13 July 2018 The birds that fly from Wisconsin to Canada to molt typically stay north of the border until mid to late August, then fly south, Finger said, returning slightly ahead of the fall migration of the MVP geese. — Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Canada geese grouping up before molt migration," 9 June 2018 Now that the points from Roland Garros 2017 molted off like snakeskin, Stanislas Wawrinka is now down to world No. 263. — Jon Wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: Looking Back at Roland Garros," 13 June 2018 About 70% of Canada geese from Wisconsin fly to Ontario to molt, with most in the James Bay region, Finger said. — Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Canada geese grouping up before molt migration," 9 June 2018 See another video of the same species molting, and learn more about the spider. — Amy Rankin, National Geographic, "A Tarantula Sheds Its Skin in New Time-Lapse Video," 16 May 2018 During molting season, their appetite almost doubles. — Grace Wong, chicagotribune.com, "What do a sommelier, a Bears lineman and a penguin eat for lunch?," 26 Apr. 2018 Area songbirds are slowly but steadily molting into their breeding plumage. — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, "Yellow-rumped warblers become brighter for breeding | Charlotte Observer," 12 Apr. 2018 Some snakes can molt to remove the fungus, others aren’t so lucky. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "A Mysterious Disease Is Killing Snakes Around the World," 23 Dec. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Each summer the birds shed, or molt, their wing and tail feathers. — Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Canada geese grouping up before molt migration," 9 June 2018 In addition to hola and gràcies, bon día (good morning), si us plau (please), merci (thanks), and molt bó (very good, as in food) will be useful. — Sara Mccarty, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Essential Things to Know Before You Visit Barcelona," 5 Mar. 2018 The females will not change as much during the molt. — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, "American goldfinches sport a new look this time of year | Charlotte Observer," 11 Feb. 2018 In winter, tens of thousands of the threatened Steller's eider sea ducks stay in Izembek and molt. — Author: Juliet Eilperin, Anchorage Daily News, "Interior Department strikes deal with Alaska village for road through national wildlife refuge," 6 Jan. 2018 The eruption would have coincided with their annual molt, which leaves the penguins vulnerable and unable to enter the water. — Aaron Sidder, National Geographic, "Erupting Volcano May Have Destroyed Huge Penguin Colony," 6 July 2016 After the megalopa phase, crabs molt another seven or eight times to transform into their crab shape. — Sara Sneath, NOLA.com, "Does coastal erosion help or harm the Gulf's blue crabs?," 20 Oct. 2017 That molt essentially wiped out the soot that had accumulated in their plumage. — Ben Guarino, Washington Post, "Soot caught in bird feathers shows how catastrophic air pollution can be," 9 Oct. 2017 There’s the annual molt, during which even the crows are disheveled and pencil-necked. — Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, "Why every writer needs a tree," 13 Sep. 2017These 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.
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More Definitions for molt
molt
verb
English Language Learners Definition of molt
biology : to lose a covering of hair, feathers, etc., and replace it with new growth in the same place
See the full definition for molt in the English Language Learners Dictionary
molt
verb
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Kids Definition of molt
: to shed outer material (as hair, shell, or horns) that will be replaced by a new growth
molt
intransitive verb
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Medical Definition of molt
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to shed hair, feathers, shell, horns, or an outer layer periodically
: to cast off (an outer covering) periodically specifically : to throw off (the old cuticle) —used of arthropods
molt
nounKeep scrolling for more
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