MOLT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does molt mean? 

• MOLT (noun)
  The noun MOLT has 1 sense:

1. periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles

  Familiarity information: MOLT used as a noun is very rare.

• MOLT (verb)
  The verb MOLT has 1 sense:

1. cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers

  Familiarity information: MOLT used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MOLT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

ecdysis; molt; molting; moult; moulting

Hypernyms ("molt" is a kind of...):

shedding; sloughing (the process whereby something is shed)

Derivation:

molt (cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers)

• MOLT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they molt    ... he / she / it molts   
Past simple: molted   
Past participle: molted   
-ing form: molting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

exuviate; molt; moult; shed; slough

Context example:

our dog sheds every Spring

Hypernyms (to "molt" is one way to...):

cast; cast off; drop; shake off; shed; throw; throw away; throw off (get rid of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "molt"):

desquamate; peel off (peel off in scales)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

molt (periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles)

molter (an animal (especially birds and arthropods and reptiles) that periodically shed their outer layer (feathers or cuticle or skin or hair))

molting (periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles)

 Context examples 

The fate of the penguins is largely tied to the fate of sea ice, which the animals use as a home base for breeding, feeding and molting.

(Unless warming is slowed, emperor penguins will march toward extinction, National Science Foundation)