molt

verb
UK: /məʊlt/
US: /moʊlt/

  1. To shed feathers, skin, or hair to be replaced by new growth.

    1. Birds molt every year to replace damaged feathers; new ones grow in.
    2. Snakes molt their skin as they grow; the old skin is shed in one piece when molting.

  2. To cast off a covering, integument, or structural part, especially periodically.

    1. Insects molt their exoskeletons multiple times before reaching adulthood, a complex process.
    2. Lobsters molt, discarding their hard shells as they grow, leaving them vulnerable when they molt.

Synonyms

shed exuviate slough
molt noun

  1. The process of shedding feathers, skin, or hair.

    1. The bird is in molt, so its feathers look messy now, but will be bright again soon.
    2. The annual molt of this snake took nearly a week, but its new skin is lovely when the molt is over.

  2. The act or process of shedding an exoskeleton or other outer covering.

    1. The crab's molt left behind an empty shell, a perfect replica when observing a molt.
    2. During molt, animals are often more vulnerable to predators because of the energy it takes to molt.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "molt" in English means: To shed feathers, skin, or hair to be replaced by new growth., To cast off a covering, integument, or structural part, especially periodically..

The phonetic transcription of "molt" is /məʊlt/ in British English and /moʊlt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

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

Example usage of "molt": "Birds molt every year to replace damaged feathers; new ones grow in.". More examples on the page.