moth·ball (môth bôl , m th-)n. 1. A marble-sized ball, originally of camphor but now of naphthalene, stored with clothes to repel moths. 2. mothballs a. A condition of long storage for possible future use: put the battleship into mothballs. b. A condition of being set aside or discarded: have put the plan into mothballs. tr.v. moth·balled, moth·ball·ing, moth·balls 1. To remove (a ship, for example) from active service or use and put into protective storage. 2. To defer indefinitely; shelve: mothball a project. |
mothball [ˈmɒθˌbɔːl]
n
1. (Chemistry / Elements & Compounds) Also called camphor ball a small ball of camphor or naphthalene used to repel clothes moths in stored clothing, blankets, etc.
put in mothballs to postpone work on (a project, activity, etc.)
vb (tr)
1. (Transport / Nautical Terms) to prepare (a ship, aircraft, etc.) for a long period of storage by sealing all openings with plastic to prevent corrosion
2. (Business / Commerce) 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.)
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | mothball - a small sphere of camphor or naphthalene used to keep moths away from stored clothing camphor - a resin obtained from the camphor tree; used in making celluloid and liniment naphthalene - a white crystalline strong-smelling hydrocarbon made from coal tar or petroleum and used in organic synthesis and as a fumigant in mothballs |
| Verb | 1. | mothball - put into long-term storage store - find a place for and put away for storage; "where should we stow the vegetables?"; "I couldn't store all the books in the attic so I sold some" |
Translations
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