moult

 
Pronunciation: /məʊlt/
(US molt)

verb

[no object]
  • (of an animal) shed old feathers, hair, or skin to make way for a new growth: the adult birds were already moulting [with object]: the snake moults its skin
  • (of hair or feathers) fall out to make way for new growth: the last of his juvenile plumage had moulted

noun

  • a loss of feathers, hair, or skin, especially as a regular feature of an animal’s life cycle: the mountain goat is brilliant white after the autumn moult in the complete life cycle there are four moults

Origin:

Middle English moute, from an Old English verb based on Latin mutare 'to change'. For the intrusive -l-, compare with words such as fault

Spelling help

Remember that moult is spelled with a u after the o (the spelling molt is American).