Mothball Definition

môthbôl, mŏth-
mothballs
noun
mothballs
A small ball of naphthalene or, sometimes, camphor, the fumes of which repel moths, as from woolens or furs.
Webster's New World
A condition of long storage for possible future use.
Put the battleship into mothballs.
American Heritage
A condition of being set aside or discarded.
Have put the plan into mothballs.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
verb
mothballs
To store with protective covering or set aside indefinitely for possible future use.
Webster's New World
To defer indefinitely; shelve.
Mothball a project.
American Heritage

To store or shelve (something that is no longer used)

They mothballed the old version after the new one came out.
Wiktionary
adjective
In storage or reserve.
A mothball fleet.
Webster's New World
idiom
in (<i>or</i> out of) mothballs
  • put into (or taken from) a condition of being stored or in reserve
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Mothball

Noun

Singular:
mothball
Plural:
mothballs

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Mothball

  • in (or out of) mothballs

Origin of Mothball

Mothball Is Also Mentioned In

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mothball