molt
1 of 2verb
ˈmōlt 
molted; molting; molts
intransitive verb
: to shed hair, feathers, shell, horns, or an outer layer periodically
Birds molt once or twice a year.
transitive verb
: to cast off (an outer covering) periodically
specifically : to throw off (the old cuticle (see cuticle sense 1)) —used of arthropods
a spider, like a lobster, molts its covering as it grows 
Eugene Kinkead
Eugene Kinkead molter noun
molt
2 of 2noun
: the act or process of molting
specifically : ecdysis
Synonyms
Verb
- exfoliate
- shed
- slip
- slough
- sluff
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb Snakes molt as they grow, shedding the old skin and growing a larger new skin. a crab molts its shell as it grows larger
Recent Examples on the Web Katie Hunt, CNN, 19 Jan. 2022 These survivors return to land to molt into their adult plumage. Elizabeth Warkentin, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2021 May when females who’ve gone back out into the ocean after weaning their pups and juvenile pups return to molt a new layer of skin and late October when juveniles return in what’s called the juvenile haul-out. Laurie Werner, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2021 But, around November, things get busier when more penguins from around False Bay (which Simon’s Town overlooks), in addition to other areas along the southern coast of South Africa and as far as Namibia, begin landing on the beach to molt. Elizabeth Warkentin, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2021 And snapping shrimp, which deploy the maneuver to instantaneously incapacitate their prey, must molt repeatedly to keep their own tissues in fighting form. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 29 June 2021 These nymphs will pop out of the ground, climb upward, then molt their nymphal case, just like a crab casting off an old exoskeleton. Washington Post, 5 May 2021 Seals molt annually, so the device falls off after a year. Rebecca Cairns, CNN, 26 May 2021 As the days warm up, more and more will make the journey up tree trunks to molt, find a mate, lay their eggs, then die soon after. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 25 May 2021 Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 July 2022 Some experts suspect that the estuary's warm and less salty waters also benefit younger calves that haven't developed their complete blubber exterior and help adults undergoing their annual molt. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 July 2022 These Arctic-dwelling species rely on sea ice to pup, nurse and molt. Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021 During a run of ideal weather earlier this month, the city began its molt from a sleepy seaside burg into its bustling summer form. Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News, 21 May 2022 These Arctic-dwelling species rely on sea ice to pup, nurse and molt. Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021 Here are the photographs to prove it For their laboratory experiments to study the catapulting behavior, the team collected spiders—males and females just one molt away from full adulthood—from the scenery garden of Wuhan's East Lake in China. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 25 Apr. 2022 These Arctic-dwelling species rely on sea ice to pup, nurse and molt. Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021 These Arctic-dwelling species rely on sea ice to pup, nurse and molt. Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021 See More
Verb
Bamboo contains moisture that helps the spider maintain its temperature -- especially important for tarantulas, which molt and shed their exoskeleton. Katie Hunt, CNN, 19 Jan. 2022 These survivors return to land to molt into their adult plumage. Elizabeth Warkentin, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2021 May when females who’ve gone back out into the ocean after weaning their pups and juvenile pups return to molt a new layer of skin and late October when juveniles return in what’s called the juvenile haul-out. Laurie Werner, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2021 But, around November, things get busier when more penguins from around False Bay (which Simon’s Town overlooks), in addition to other areas along the southern coast of South Africa and as far as Namibia, begin landing on the beach to molt. Elizabeth Warkentin, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2021 And snapping shrimp, which deploy the maneuver to instantaneously incapacitate their prey, must molt repeatedly to keep their own tissues in fighting form. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 29 June 2021 These nymphs will pop out of the ground, climb upward, then molt their nymphal case, just like a crab casting off an old exoskeleton. Washington Post, 5 May 2021 Seals molt annually, so the device falls off after a year. Rebecca Cairns, CNN, 26 May 2021 As the days warm up, more and more will make the journey up tree trunks to molt, find a mate, lay their eggs, then die soon after. Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, 25 May 2021 Noun
The whales spend their time in the river, which flows into the Hudson Bay, to give birth to calves, feed, and molt. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 July 2022 Some experts suspect that the estuary's warm and less salty waters also benefit younger calves that haven't developed their complete blubber exterior and help adults undergoing their annual molt. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 July 2022 These Arctic-dwelling species rely on sea ice to pup, nurse and molt. Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021 During a run of ideal weather earlier this month, the city began its molt from a sleepy seaside burg into its bustling summer form. Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News, 21 May 2022 These Arctic-dwelling species rely on sea ice to pup, nurse and molt. Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021 Here are the photographs to prove it For their laboratory experiments to study the catapulting behavior, the team collected spiders—males and females just one molt away from full adulthood—from the scenery garden of Wuhan's East Lake in China. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 25 Apr. 2022 These Arctic-dwelling species rely on sea ice to pup, nurse and molt. Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021 These Arctic-dwelling species rely on sea ice to pup, nurse and molt. Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
alteration of Middle English mouten, from Old English -mūtian to change, from Latin mutare — more at mutable
First Known Use
Verb
15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun
1815, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing molt
Kids Definition
molt
verb
ˈmōlt
molted; molting
: to shed outer material (as hair, shell, or horns) that will be replaced by a new growth
Medical Definition
molt 1 of 2
intransitive verb
ˈmōlt
variants or chiefly British moult
: to shed hair, feathers, shell, horns, or an outer layer periodically
transitive verb
: to cast off (an outer covering) periodically
specifically : to throw off (the old cuticle) —used of arthropods
molt
2 of 2noun
variants or chiefly British moult
: the act or process of molting
specifically : ecdysis
molting
verb
as in shedding
to cast (a natural bodily covering or appendage) aside a crab molts its shell as it grows larger Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- shedding
- peeling
- sloughing
- exfoliating
- discarding
- sluffing
- flaking
- scaling
- slipping
- ditching
- unloading
- scrapping
- junking
- jettisoning
- throwing away
- throwing out
- chucking
- flinging (off or away)
- shucking (off)
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