noun, verb — 4 senses
US /moʊlt/ · UK /mɒlt/
Etymology From Middle English mouten, from Old English *mutian (cf. bemutian), from Latin mūtō, mūtāre. Doublet of mute and mutate. Un-etymological ⟨l⟩ was introduced into the spelling by mistakenly assuming a French origin with -l- (compare fault, vault and solder with correctly restored etymological ⟨l⟩).
The process of shedding or losing a covering of fur, feathers or skin etc.
The skin or feathers cast off during the process of moulting.
Etymology From Middle English mouten, from Old English *mutian (cf. bemutian), from Latin mūtō, mūtāre. Doublet of mute and mutate. Un-etymological ⟨l⟩ was introduced into the spelling by mistakenly assuming a French origin with -l- (compare fault, vault and solder with correctly restored etymological ⟨l⟩).
To shed or lose a covering of hair or fur, feathers, skin, horns, etc, and replace it with a fresh one.
To shed in such a manner.
Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.