exuviate

verb
UK: /ɛksˈjuːvieɪt/
US: /ɛksˈsuːvieɪt/

  1. To shed or cast off an outer layer, such as skin, feathers, or shells.

    1. Snakes exuviate their skin as they grow larger.
    2. The cicada will exuviate its nymph exoskeleton and become an adult.

  2. To free oneself of something that is no longer needed or wanted, like a habit or a burden.

    1. He tried to exuviate his old anxieties and start anew.
    2. The company needed to exuviate its outdated practices to remain competitive.

Synonyms

shed molt discard slough
exuviate adjective

  1. Having been shed or cast off; relating to the process of shedding an outer layer.

    1. The exuviate skin lay curled on the rocks.
    2. The beach was littered with exuviate shells after the tide went out.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "exuviate" in English means: To shed or cast off an outer layer, such as skin, feathers, or shells., To free oneself of something that is no longer needed or wanted, like a habit or a burden..

The phonetic transcription of "exuviate" is /ɛksˈjuːvieɪt/ in British English and /ɛksˈsuːvieɪt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "exuviate": shed, molt, discard, slough.

Example usage of "exuviate": "Snakes exuviate their skin as they grow larger.". More examples on the page.