mothball

moth·ball

 (môth′bôl′, mŏth′-)

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.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mothball

(ˈmɒθˌbɔːl)

n

1. (Elements & Compounds) Also called: camphor ball a small ball of camphor or naphthalene used to repel clothes moths in stored clothing, blankets, etc

2. put in mothballs to postpone work on (a project, activity, etc)

vb (tr)

3. (Nautical Terms) to prepare (a ship, aircraft, etc) for a long period of storage by sealing all openings with plastic to prevent corrosion

4. (Commerce) to take (a factory, plant, etc) out of operation but maintain it so that it can be used in the future

5. to postpone work on (a project, activity, etc)

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

moth•ball

(ˈmɔθˌbɔl, ˈmɒθ-)

n.

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

2. in mothballs,

a. in reserve or storage.

b. in a state of disuse, rejection, or repudiation: That idea belongs in mothballs.

v.t.

3. to put into storage; inactivate.

adj.

4. inactive; stored away: a mothball fleet.

[1905–10]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

mothball

Past participle: mothballed
Gerund: mothballing

Imperative

mothball

mothball

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	mothball - a small sphere of camphor or naphthalene used to keep moths away from stored clothing camphor ball globe, orb, ball - an object with a spherical shape; "a ball of fire" 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"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

كُرَة العُث

naftalín

mølkugle

Mottenkugel

boule antimite

molyirtó

mölkúla

mettere in naftalinapallina di naftalina

møllkule

naftalín

naftalin topu

卫生球樟脑球

mothball

[ˈmɒθbɔːl]

A. N → bola f de naftalina
in mothballs (Naut) → en la reserva
to put sth in mothballs [+ project] → aparcar algo, dejar algo aparcado

B. VT [+ ship] → poner en la reserva; [+ project] → aparcar, dejar aparcado

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

mothball

[ˈmɒθbɔːl] n → boule f de naphtalinemoth-eaten [ˈmɒθiːt^ən] adj → mité(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

mothball

[ˈmɒθˌbɔːl] n → pallina di naftalina

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

moth

(moθ) – plural moths (moθs) (American) (mo:ðz) – noun

1. any of a large number of insects, rather like butterflies but with wider bodies, seen mostly at night and attracted by light. mot عُثَّه، سوسَه нощни пеперуди traça můra der Nachtfalter natsværmer νυχτοπεταλούδα mariposa nocturna ööliblikas حشرات موذى yöperhonen papillon de nuitעש पतंगा, शलभ noćni leptir pille ngengat mölur falena 蛾 나방 drugys naktstauriņš ngengat nachtvlindernattsvermerćma يو ډول غماشى traça fluture de noapte ночная бабочка mora vešča moljac nattfjäril ผีเสื้อราตรี ออกหากินตอนกลางคืน pervane 蛾 метелик پتنگا con thiêu thân 蛾

2. a clothes moth. The moths have been at my evening dress. mot عُثَّه، سوسَة ألْبِسَه молец traça mol die Motte møl σκόροςpolilla koi بيد koi miteעש कपड़े का कीड़ा moljac (ruha)moly ngengat mölur tarma 衣蛾 옷좀나방 kandis kode ngengat motmøllmól سپږه traça molie моль moľa molj moljac mal แมลงกินผ้า güve 衣蛾 міль کپڑوں کا کیڑا mọt vải 蛀虫

clothes moth

a type of moth whose larva feeds on cloth and makes holes. kleremot عُث الألْبِسَه молец traça mol šatní die Kleidermotte møl σκόροςpolilla riidekoi بيد vaatekoi mite עש הַבּגָדִים कपड़े का कीड़ा moljac (ruha)moly ngengat mölur tarma 衣蛾 옷좀나방 kandis kode ngengat motmøllmól يو ډول د كالو غماشى traça molie моль moľa šatová molj moljac mal แมลงกินผ้า güve 衣蛾(其幼蟲會蛀食衣服) одежна міль کپڑوں کا طفیلی کیڑا mọt vải 蛀衣服的蠹虫

ˈmothball noun

a small ball of a chemical used to protect clothes from clothes moths. motbal كُرَة العُث нефталиново топче bola de naftalina naftalín die Mottenkugel mølkugle ναφθαλίνη bola de naftalina koitõrjepallike گلوله نفتالين وضد بيد خوردگى koimyrkky boule antimite כַּדוּר נָפטָלִין (कीड़े मारने की) नैप्थलीन की गोली sredstvo protiv moljaca molyirtó(szer) kapur barus mölkúla (pallina di naftalina) 防虫剤の玉 좀약 chemikalų rutuliukas kandims naikinti naftalīna bumbiņa (pretkožu līdzeklis) ubat gegat mottenbalmøllkule kulka antymolowa, naftalinowa نفتالين bola de naftalina gra­nulă de naftalină нафталиновый шарик naftalín kroglica naftalina naftalinska loptica malkula ลูกเหม็น naftalin topu 樟腦丸 нафталінова кулька نفتھالین وغیرہ کی گولی viên băng phiến 卫生球，mothball

ˈmoth-eaten adjective

(of cloth) eaten by moths. a moth-eaten blanket. motgevreet مَقْروض بالعُث изяден от молци comido de traça prožraný od molů mottenzerfressen mølædt σκοροφαγωμένος apolillado koitanud بيد خورده koinsyömä mité אָכוּל ע”י עַש (कीड़ों द्वारा) नष्ट किया हुआ izjeden od moljaca molyette lapuk mölétinn tarmato 虫の食った 좀먹은 kandžių suėstas kožu saēsts lapuk aangetast door de motmøllspist zjedzony przez mole پويه خوړل شوى comido de traça mâncat de molii изъеденный молью prežraný od molí od moljev požrt izjeden od strane moljaca maläten ซึ่งถูกทำลายด้วยแมลง güve yemiş/yeniği (衣服)被蛾蛀壞的 поїдений міллю کڑکھایا، گھسا پٹا bị mọt cắn 虫蛀的，蛀坏了的

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