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molt

Syllabification: (molt)
Pronunciation: /mōlt/

(Britishmoult)
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Definition of molt

verb

[no object]
  • (of an animal) shed old feathers, hair, or skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth:the adult birds were already molting into their winter shades of gray [with object]:the snake molts its skin
  • (of hair or feathers) fall out to make way for new growth:the last of his juvenile plumage had molted

noun

  • a loss of plumage, skin, or hair, especially as a regular feature of an animal’s life cycle.

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

molt in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of molt in the British & World English dictionary

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