molt

1 of 2

verb

ˈmōlt 

molted; molting; molts

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 sense 1))

—used of arthropods

a spider, like a lobster, molts its covering as it grows

—Eugene Kinkead

molter noun

molt

2 of 2

noun

: the act or process of molting

specifically : ecdysis

Synonyms

Verb

• exfoliate
• shed
• slip
• slough
• sluff

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 larger

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

For years, however, the face of the gigantic crawler eluded scientists—Arthropleura fossils discovered since the 1800s were often only remnants of headless exoskeletons left behind during molting. —Olatunji Osho-Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024

Two years ago, my daughter asked for all the peacock feathers that the male peacocks had molted [per her post on X last year, Stewart owns 21]. —Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024

Noun

There’s yucky pleasure to be had in watching these young people flounder, all while the alien molts through multiple hostile futures, waiting to be reborn. —Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024

In all, the equipment measured less than 1 percent of each animal’s body weight, and any residue on the sea lions’ fur was expected to come off with the next molt. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

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

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1815, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing molt

• pre-molt

Kids Definition

molt

1 of 2 verb

ˈmōlt 

: to shed hair, feathers, outer skin, shell, or horns with the cast-off parts being replaced by a new growth

molt

2 of 2 noun

: the act, process, or period of molting

Medical Definition

molt

1 of 2 intransitive verb

ˈmōlt 

variants or chiefly British moult

: 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

2 of 2 noun

variants or chiefly British moult

: the act or process of molting

specifically : ecdysis