molt

1 of 2

verb

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
molter noun

molt

2 of 2

noun

: the act or process of molting
specifically : ecdysis

Examples of molt in a Sentence

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
Verb
All indigo buntings eventually molt into brown plumage in the fall. Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 After breeding, cinnamon teal ducks gather in flocks to molt prior to migration. Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 27 Dec. 2023 Fledglings are trying to get their bearings, and many birds molt before migrating. Tovah Martin, Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2023 By summer, the nymphs, which look like small, wingless adults, will molt several times, transforming into mature adults, growing to about 4 inches in length. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2023 The team speculates that the trilobite may have been molting, which could explain the feeding frenzy. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2023 When forced to live on foods higher in carbs and lower in protein, the insects ate a lot, becoming obese, and took longer to molt to adulthood. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023 On East, a molting monk seal smelled worse than sweaty, pungent gym socks. Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2023 Mallards molt a whole new suit of feathers at once, while Mexican ducks appear to molt piecemeal. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 30 Aug. 2023
Noun
Crows can be beautiful birds whose black feathers shimmer green and violet, like an aurora in the night sky; in late summer, however, Parisian crows looked ragged from their annual molt. Ben Crair, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2024 Maybe hermit crabs, which molt and exchange their shells every 12 to 18 months, are struggling to find natural sources of protection, the authors suggest. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Feb. 2024 When the birds molt, their feathers regrow in the same places year after year. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023 With each molt, the caterpillar gets hairier and more muted in color. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2023 The length of the molt is less than one tenth of an inch. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 2 May 2023 The sea creature — who recently had her first molt since arriving at Ripley’s Aquarium to reveal an even brighter orange shell — will soon join Cheddar in an exhibit that guests can visit. Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 12 Aug. 2023 After dogs defecate in the pens, the hookworm eggs hatch, and the larvae eventually molt, reaching their infective stage within five to 10 days. Bradley Van Paridon, Scientific American, 1 June 2023 Nymphs molt into more nymphs, growing larger and sprouting wing buds until the final molt, when the adult emerges like a new, green leaf. Sabrina Imbler, Harper's BAZAAR, 6 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'molt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of molt was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near molt

Cite this Entry

“Molt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/molt. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

molt

1 of 2 verb
: to shed hair, feathers, outer skin, shell, or horns with the cast-off parts being replaced by a new growth

molt

2 of 2 noun
: the act, process, or period of molting

Medical Definition

molt

1 of 2 intransitive verb
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 2 noun
variants or chiefly British moult
: the act or process of molting
specifically : ecdysis

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