in mothballs

Variant of mothball

mothball definition

moth·ball (môt̸h′bôl′)

noun

a small ball of naphthalene or, sometimes, camphor, the fumes of which repel moths, as from woolens, furs, etc.

transitive verb

to store with protective covering or set aside indefinitely for possible future use

adjective

in storage or reserve a mothball fleet
mothball Idioms

in (or out of) mothballs

put into (or taken from) a condition of being stored or in reserve

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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