mothball

1 of 2

noun

moth·​ball ˈmȯth-ˌbȯl How to pronounce mothball (audio)
1
: a ball made formerly of camphor but now often of naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene and used to keep moths from clothing
2
mothballs plural : a condition of protective storage
put the ships in mothballs after the war
also : a state of having been rejected for further use or dismissed from further consideration

mothball

2 of 2

verb

mothballed; mothballing; mothballs

transitive verb

1
: to deactivate (something, such as a ship) and prevent deterioration chiefly by dehumidification
2
: to withdraw from use or service and keep in reserve : put aside

Examples of mothball in a Sentence

Verb Many navy ships were mothballed after the war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
That's probably why people have put mothballs in their cedar chests for years. Heather Bien, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2024 There was this great waft of camphor, the mothball smell and these strange furs, fox furs and things like this, and peculiar Austrian artifacts, and collars from my grandfather with Germanic names on it. Marc Malkin, Variety, 15 June 2024
Verb
After being mothballed in 1997, the site became somewhat of an obsession for geologists and entrepreneurs who recognized how much valuable ore remained. Christopher Helman, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 The distillery operated sporadically before being mothballed in 1998 and demolished in 2013. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mothball 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mothball was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near mothball

Cite this Entry

“Mothball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mothball. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mothball

1 of 2 noun
moth·​ball ˈmȯth-ˌbȯl How to pronounce mothball (audio)
1
: a ball (as of naphthalene) used to keep moths out of clothing
2
plural : protective storage
a fleet put in mothballs after the war

mothball

2 of 2 verb
1
: to remove a ship from use and protect from deterioration
2
: to withdraw from use or service and keep in reserve : put aside
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!