molter

Variant of molt

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

Related Forms:

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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