mothball

1 of 2

noun

moth·​ball ˈmȯth-ˌbȯl 

1

: a ball made formerly of camphor but now often of naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene and used to keep moths from clothing

2

mothballs plural : a condition of protective storage

put the ships in mothballs after the war

also : a state of having been rejected for further use or dismissed from further consideration

mothball

2 of 2

verb

mothballed; mothballing; mothballs

transitive verb

1

: to deactivate (something, such as a ship) and prevent deterioration chiefly by dehumidification

2

: to withdraw from use or service and keep in reserve : put aside

Examples of mothball in a Sentence

Verb

Many navy ships were mothballed after the war.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Katy had never put mothballs in her closet because of the smell. —Liz McNeil, People.com, 3 June 2025

Avoid toxic deterrents like mothballs and poisons that can harm pets and humans. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 21 May 2025

Verb

The Trump rescission bill made it through the House and Senate and mothballs federal funding for National Public Radio, public TV and the U.S. Agency for International Development. —Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025

Forget drill, baby, drill; at current prices America’s drillers have been mothballing rigs at a rapid clip to preserve capital. —Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mothball

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• banal
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale

Kids Definition

mothball

1 of 2 noun

moth·​ball ˈmȯth-ˌbȯl 

1

: a ball (as of naphthalene) used to keep moths out of clothing

2

plural : protective storage

a fleet put in mothballs after the war

mothball

2 of 2 verb

1

: to remove a ship from use and protect from deterioration

2

: to withdraw from use or service and keep in reserve : put aside