DictionaryAI

mothball

USMAWTH-bawl/ˈmɔθbɔl/UKMOTH-bawl/ˈmɒθbɔːl/

Verbmothballs, mothballing, mothballed

Noun pluralmothballs

3 meanings of mothball

Practice

  1. 1
    store unusedverbfigurativelytransitive
    To stop using something but keep it safe and in good shape.

    The company mothballed the factory when orders dropped.

    We may mothball the old boat this year and fix it up later.

    Similardecommission, shelve

    Oppositereactivate

  2. 2
    insect poisonnouncountable
    A small chemical ball put with stored clothes and other things to protect them from moths and mold.

    Mom put mothballs in the box of winter sweaters.

    The old coat from the closet had a strong mothball smell.

  3. 3
    noun
    Being stored and unused but ready to use again, as in the phrases in mothballs and out of mothballs.

    The old train has been in mothballs for years.

    The city took its old snowplows out of mothballs after the big storm.

    Similarstorage

Practice

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Origin

Made from moth + ball.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact