molt

American  

[mohlt] / moʊlt /

especially British, moult

verb (used without object)

1. (of birds, insects, reptiles, etc.) to cast or shed the feathers, skin, or the like, that will be replaced by a new growth.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cast or shed (feathers, skin, etc.) in the process of renewal.

noun

1. an act, process, or an instance of molting.

2. something that is dropped in molting.

molt British  

/ məʊlt /

verb

1. the usual US spelling of moult

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molt Scientific  

/ mōlt /

1. To shed an outer covering, such as skin or feathers, for replacement by a new growth. Many snakes, birds, and arthropods molt.

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Other Word Forms

• molter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of molt

1300–50; earlier mout (with intrusive -l-; cf. fault, assault), Middle English mouten, Old English -mūtian to change (in bi-mūtian to exchange for) < Latin mūtāre to change; see mutate

Explanation

When an animal molts, it loses its feathers, fur, skin or maybe even outer skeleton. People don't molt, but plenty of animals do as a normal part of their life cycle. Despite the guarantees made by late night advertisements, once a human is bald, he's bald forever. Not so for many animals who routinely lose and gain hair, skin or feathers. Think of shedding dogs and snakes crawling out of their old skins. This is the process known as molting. Insects that molt lose their shells or wings, often a sign that they're entering a different part of their life cycle.

Example Sentences

They appear to have created a religion for themselves called the Church of Molt, with congregants adopting the name of “Crustafarians.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Archie Molt, a third-year student at Canterbury Christ Church University, has formed a greenhouse society on campus to provide fellow finance-conscious students with food.

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2024

But Molt, who was vaccinated and planned to wear a mask inside the stadium, still wasn’t sure if it was safe.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2021

Ducks and shorebirds with broken wings, smashed skulls and other signs of internal bleeding were found on the shores around Big Lake Wildlife Management Area in Molt, Mont., authorities said.

From Fox News • Aug. 20, 2019

Literally translated the sense would run, "Darerca my mother / she was not a bad woman // Beoit the wright my father / of the Latharna of Molt."

From The Latin & Irish Lives of Ciaran Translations Of Christian Literature. Series V. Lives Of The Celtic Saints by MacAlister, R.A. Stewart