mothball

[ mawth-bawl, moth- ]

noun

1. a small ball of naphthalene or sometimes of camphor for placing in closets or other storage areas to repel moths from clothing, blankets, etc.

verb (used with object)

1. to put into storage or reserve; inactivate.

adjective

1. inactive; unused; stored away:

   a mothball fleet.

mothball

/ ˈmɒθˌbɔːl /

noun

1. Also calledcamphor ball a small ball of camphor or naphthalene used to repel clothes moths in stored clothing, blankets, etc
2. put in mothballs
   put in mothballs to postpone work on (a project, activity, etc)

verb

1. to prepare (a ship, aircraft, etc) for a long period of storage by sealing all openings with plastic to prevent corrosion
2. to take (a factory, plant, etc) out of operation but maintain it so that it can be used in the future
3. to postpone work on (a project, activity, etc)

Word History and Origins

Origin of mothball¹

First recorded in 1905–10; moth + ball ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in mothballs,
   1. in disuse or in storage, especially with reference to standby equipment.
   2. (of ideas) dismissed as unworthy of further deliberation.

Example Sentences

Now the organization that oversees the ratings is mothballing its consumer-facing portion, and expediting an independent review of the system’s data and methodology.

From Quartz

Airlines mothballed planes, furloughed workers, and incentivized people to leave with early retirement and buyouts packages.

From Popular-Science

After five years in storage, apparently without mothballs, the college’s jerseys were rife with holes and most of the pads were literally coming apart at the seams.

From Popular-Science

NASA lost access to low-Earth orbit for nearly a decade after the retirement of the Space Shuttle, and if the ISS is mothballed, both the space agency and the space industry will lose out.

From Quartz

Related Words

• conserve
• defend
• freeze
• keep
• perpetuate
• protect
• retain
• safeguard
• save
• secure
• store
• sustain
• uphold