molt

molt
—molter, n.
/mohlt/, v.i.
1. (of birds, insects, reptiles, etc.) to cast or shed the feathers, skin, or the like, that will be replaced by a new growth.
v.t.
2. to cast or shed (feathers, skin, etc.) in the process of renewal.
n.
3. an act, process, or an instance of molting.
4. something that is dropped in molting.
Also, esp. Brit., moult.
[1300-50; earlier mout (with intrusive -l-; cf. FAULT, ASSAULT), ME mouten, OE -mutian to change (in bi-mutian to exchange for) < L mutare to change; see MUTATE]

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also spelled  Moult,  

      biological process of molting (moulting)—i.e., the shedding or casting off of an outer layer or covering and the formation of its replacement. Molting, which is regulated by hormones, occurs throughout the animal kingdom. It includes the shedding and replacement of horns, hair, skin, and feathers.

      The process of shedding an external skeleton for the purpose of growth or change in shape (see metamorphosis) is called ecdysis; it occurs in such invertebrates as arthropods, nematodes, and tardigrades.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Molt — Molt, Moult Moult, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Molted} or {Moulted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Molting} or {Moulting}.] [OE. mouten, L. mutare. See {Mew} to molt, and cf. {Mute}, v. t.] [The prevalent spelling is, perhaps, {moult}; but as the {u} has not been… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • molt — Molt, Moult Moult, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Molted} or {Moulted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Molting} or {Moulting}.] [OE. mouten, L. mutare. See {Mew} to molt, and cf. {Mute}, v. t.] [The prevalent spelling is, perhaps, {moult}; but as the {u} has not been… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Molt — bezeichnet den Gründer der ersten Waldorfschule, siehe Emil Molt ein Volumenmaß in Deutschland, siehe Molt (Einheit) Molt (Montana), Ort in den Vereinigten Staaten Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidu …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • molt´er — molt «mohlt», verb, noun. –v.i. to shed feathers, skin, hair, shell, ntlers, or other growths, before a new growth. Birds, snakes, insects, and crustaceans molt. –v.t. to shed (feathers, skin, or other growths): »We saw the snake molt its skin.… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Molt — Molt, obs. imp. of {Melt}. Chaucer. Spenser. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Molt — Molt, Moult Moult, v. t. To cast, as the hair, skin, feathers, or the like; to shed. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Molt — Molt, Moult Moult, n. The act or process of changing the feathers, hair, skin, etc.; molting. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • molt — [məult US moult] v [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: mout to molt (14 17 centuries), from Old English mutian to change , from Latin mutare; MUTATE] the American spelling of ↑moult …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • molt — molt·er; molt; …   English syllables

  • molt — [mōlt] vi. [ME mouten (with unhistoric l after FAULT, in which the letter was orig. silent) < OE (be)mutian, to exchange < L mutare, to change: see MUTATE] to cast off or shed the exoskeleton, hair, outer skin, horns, or feathers at certain …   English World dictionary

  • Molt — 1) in Westfalen 12 Stück Garn; 2) Fruchtmaß in Oldenburg, so v.w. Malter …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

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