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molt Definition

molt (mōlt)

intransitive verb

to cast off or shed the exoskeleton, hair, outer skin, horns, or feathers at certain intervals, prior to replacement of the castoff parts by a new growth: said of reptiles, birds, insects, etc.

Etymology: ME mouten (with unhistoric -l- after fault, in which the letter was orig. silent) < OE (be)mutian, to exchange < L mutare, to change: see mutate

transitive verb

to replace by molting

noun

  1. the act or process of molting
  2. the parts so shed

molt Related Forms
molt′er noun
molt Synonyms

molt

v.

lose, cast off, remove skin; see shed.

molt Usage Examples

Object

  • year: On average, an adult spider molts once a year whilst younger spiders may molt more regularly due to their bodies growing faster.

Converse of object

  • undergo: The nymphs undergo five molts, becoming successively larger after each molt.

Adjective modifier

  • successive: During successive annual molts, the epidermis peels off with the old hair to reveal the bright new pelage underneath.
  • first: After the first molt of their skin, they descend and go off on their own.

Modifying Another Word

  • once: On average, an adult spider molts once a year whilst younger spiders may molt more regularly due to their bodies growing faster.
  • then: The young spiders then molt to the second stage and begin feeding.

Browse dictionary entries near molt

  1. ‹ Molotov cocktail
  2. ‹ Molotov
  3. ‹ Molokai
  4. ‹ Moloch
  5. ‹ Molnár
  6. ‹ mollycoddle
  7. ‹ Molly Maguires
  8. ‹ molly
  9. ‹ Mollweide projection
  10. ‹ mollusk
  1. molten ›
  2. Moltke ›
  3. molto ›
  4. Moluccas ›
  5. moly ›
  6. molybdate ›
  7. molybdenite ›
  8. molybdenum ›
  9. molybdic ›
  10. molybdous ›