molt

- 11 dictionary results

molt

[mohlt]

–verb (used without object)

1.	(of birds, insects, reptiles, etc.) to cast or shed the feathers, skin, or the like, that will be replaced by a new growth.

–verb (used with object)

2.	to cast or shed (feathers, skin, etc.) in the process of renewal.

–noun

3.	an act, process, or an instance of molting.

4.	something that is dropped in molting.

Also, especially British, moult.

Origin:
1300–50; earlier mout (with intrusive -l-; cf. fault, assault ), ME mouten, OE -mūtian to change (in bi-mūtian to exchange for) < L mūtāre to change; see mutate

Related forms:

molter, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To molt

molt (mōlt)

v.   molt·ed, molt·ing, molts

v.   intr.
To shed periodically part or all of a coat or an outer covering, such as feathers, cuticle, or skin, which is then replaced by a new growth.
v.   tr.
To shed or cast off (a bodily covering).
n.

The act or process of molting.
The material cast off during molting.

[Alteration of Middle English mouten, from Old English -mūtian (in bemūtian, to exchange for), from Latin mūtāre, to change; see mei-¹ in Indo-European roots.]
molt'er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Molt

Molt\, obs. imp. of Melt. --Chaucer. --Spenser.

Molt

Molt\, Moult \Moult\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Molted or Moulted; p. pr. & vb. n. Molting or Moulting.] [OE. mouten, L. mutare. See Mew to molt, and cf. Mute, v. t.] [The prevalent spelling is, perhaps, moult; but as the u has not been inserted in the otherwords of this class, as, bolt, colt, dolt, etc., it is desirable to complete the analogy by the spelling molt.] To shed or cast the hair, feathers, skin, horns, or the like, as an animal or a bird. --Bacon.

Molt

Molt\, Moult \Moult\, v. t. To cast, as the hair, skin, feathers, or the like; to shed.

Molt

Molt\, Moult \Moult\, n. The act or process of changing the feathers, hair, skin, etc.; molting.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : molt

Spanish: mudar las plumas, *la piel,

German: sich mausern, sich häuten,

Japanese: 抜けかわる

More Translations »

molt (v.)

1340, mouten, of feathers, "to be shed," from O.E. (be)mutian "to exchange," from L. mutare "to change" (see mutable). Trans. sense, of birds, "to shed feathers" is first attested 1530. With parasitic -l-, late 16c., on model of fault, etc.

Main Entry: ¹molt
Pronunciation: 'mOlt
Variant: or chiefly British moult
Function: intransitive verb
: to shed hair, feathers,shell, horns, or an outer layer periodically molt transitive senses
: to cast off (an outer covering) periodically; specifically : to throw off (the oldcuticle) —used of arthropods

Main Entry: ²molt
Variant: or chiefly British moult
Function: noun
: the act or process of molting; specifically : ECDYSIS

molt (mōlt)
v. molt·ed, molt·ing, molts
To shed periodically part or all of a coat or an outer covering, such as feathers, cuticle, or skin, which is then replaced by a new growth. n.

The act or process of molting.
The material cast off during molting.

molt (mōlt) Pronunciation Key
To shed an outer covering, such as skin or feathers, for replacement by a new growth. Many snakes, birds, and arthropods molt.

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