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View synonyms for mothball

mothball

[ mawth-bawl, moth- ]

noun

  1. a small ball of naphthalene or sometimes of camphor for placing in closets or other storage areas to repel moths from clothing, blankets, etc.

verb (used with object)

  1. to put into storage or reserve; inactivate.

adjective

  1. inactive; unused; stored away:

    a mothball fleet.

mothball

/ ˈmɒθˌbɔːl /

noun

  1. Also calledcamphor ball a small ball of camphor or naphthalene used to repel clothes moths in stored clothing, blankets, etc
  2. put in mothballs
    to postpone work on (a project, activity, etc)

verb

  1. to prepare (a ship, aircraft, etc) for a long period of storage by sealing all openings with plastic to prevent corrosion
  2. to take (a factory, plant, etc) out of operation but maintain it so that it can be used in the future
  3. to postpone work on (a project, activity, etc)

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Word History and Origins

Origin of mothball1

First recorded in 1905–10; moth + ball 1

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. in mothballs,
    1. in disuse or in storage, especially with reference to standby equipment.
    2. (of ideas) dismissed as unworthy of further deliberation.

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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