molt
/moult/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- Periodic shedding of the cuticle or outer skin: The process in which an animal, such as an arthropod or reptile, sheds its outer layer (cuticle, skin, feathers, or hair) to allow for growth or renewal.
Verb:
- To cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers: To shed an outer covering, such as feathers, hair, or skin, as part of a natural, cyclical process.
Usage and Examples
Noun:
- The crab's molt left a perfect, empty shell on the beach.
- During its annual molt, the snake's skin becomes dull and opaque.
Verb:
- Birds molt their feathers to replace worn ones.
- The caterpillar will molt several times before forming a chrysalis.
Advanced Usage
- "to be in molt": To be undergoing the process of shedding.
- The eagle is in molt and cannot fly as efficiently.
- "to molt into": To shed an old form and emerge in a new one (often figurative).
- The company hopes to molt into a more modern organization.
Variants and Related Words
- Moult: The British English spelling variant of "molt". The meaning is identical.
- The bird is beginning to moult.
- Molting/Moulting (adj/n): The process or state of shedding.
- The molting process is energy-intensive for the animal.
Synonyms
- Shed: To cast off naturally.
- Slough: To cast off dead skin, especially in reptiles.
- Exuviate: A formal, biological term for shedding an outer covering.
Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions
(Note: "Molt" is not commonly used with particles to form phrasal verbs. The action is typically expressed directly.) - Molt off: To shed completely (less common). - The insect will molt off its entire exoskeleton.
Related Idioms
(Note: There are no common idioms centered solely on the word "molt." The concept is typically used in its literal, biological sense.)
Noun
- periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles
Verb
- cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers
- our dog sheds every Spring