See mothball in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "pesticide ball"
},
"expansion": "noun, sense 1",
"name": "senseno"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "noun"
},
"expansion": "noun",
"name": "lg"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "moth",
"3": "ball",
"notext": "1",
"type": "exocentric"
},
"expansion": "moth + ball",
"name": "compound"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "verb"
},
"expansion": "verb",
"name": "lg"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The noun is derived from moth + ball. The verb is derived from the noun.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "mothballs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "moth-ball",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "moth ball",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "mothball (plural mothballs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"hyphenations": [
{
"parts": [
"moth",
"ball"
]
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "16 15 36 33",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English exocentric compounds",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"derived": [
{
"english": "kept in good condition for later use",
"translation": "kept in good condition for later use",
"word": "in mothballs"
},
{
"word": "mothbally"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
113,
122
]
],
"ref": "1904, E. P. Burlingame, “Financial Statement to Accompany the Report of the Adjutant General”, in Annual Report of the Adjutant General of Oklahoma: for the Year Ending December 31, 1904 […], Guthrie, Okla.: The State Capital Company, →OCLC, page 25:",
"text": "There were two carloads of equipments. Upon their return to the armory the blankets were shook and repacked with mothballs; […]",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
61,
71
]
],
"ref": "1907, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “Seats of the Haughty”, in Heart of the West, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company for Review of Reviews Co., →OCLC, page 82:",
"text": "Me and Solly, as I now called him, prepared to shake off our moth-balls and wing our way against the arc-lights of the joyous and tuneful East.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
238,
248
]
],
"ref": "1914 February, Sinclair Lewis, “He Becomes Mildly Religious and Highly Literary”, in Our Mr. Wrenn: The Romantic Adventures of a Gentle Man, New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC, pages 213–214:",
"text": "The church interior was as comfortable as Sunday-morning toast and marmalade— […] gorgeous stained-glass windows, and a general polite creaking of ladies' best stays and gentlemen's stiff shirt-bosoms, and an odor of the best cologne and moth-balls.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
227,
236
]
],
"ref": "1955 July 21, [Richard Lewis] Neuberger, “Education Benefits rather than Compulsion for a Ready Reserve Force”, in Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 84th Congress, First Session (United States Senate), volume 101, part 9, Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 11131, column 2:",
"text": "Mr. President, I have supported the draft and shall do so as long as it is necessary. But I believe that when a draftee has served his 2 years and is released for normal civilian life, he should be free to place his uniform in mothballs until the Nation's safety requires his return to active duty.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A small ball of chemical pesticide (originally camphor and now typically naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles to deter moth larvae which may damage them."
],
"id": "en-mothball-en-noun-en:pesticide_ball",
"links": [
[
"small",
"small#Adjective"
],
[
"ball",
"ball#Noun"
],
[
"chemical",
"chemical#Adjective"
],
[
"pesticide",
"pesticide"
],
[
"camphor",
"camphor"
],
[
"naphthalene",
"naphthalene"
],
[
"paradichlorobenzene",
"paradichlorobenzene"
],
[
"deodorant",
"deodorant#Adjective"
],
[
"placed",
"place#Verb"
],
[
"clothing",
"clothing#Noun"
],
[
"articles",
"article#Noun"
],
[
"deter",
"deter"
],
[
"moth",
"moth#Noun"
],
[
"larva",
"larva"
],
[
"damage",
"damage#Verb"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(chiefly in the plural) A small ball of chemical pesticide (originally camphor and now typically naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles to deter moth larvae which may damage them."
],
"senseid": [
"en:pesticide ball"
],
"tags": [
"in-plural"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"lang_code": "bg",
"roman": "topče naftalin",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "топче нафталин"
},
{
"code": "ceb",
"lang": "Cebuano",
"lang_code": "ceb",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "naptalina"
},
{
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"lang_code": "yue",
"roman": "wai⁶ sang¹ kau⁴",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "衛生球 /卫生球"
},
{
"alt": "zoeng¹ nou⁵ jyun⁴⁻²",
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"lang_code": "yue",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "樟腦丸 /樟脑丸"
},
{
"code": "nan-hbl",
"lang": "Chinese",
"lang_code": "nan-hbl",
"roman": "zh-min-nan",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"Hokkien"
],
"word": "臭丸"
},
{
"code": "nan-hbl",
"lang": "Chinese",
"lang_code": "nan-hbl",
"roman": "chiuⁿ-ló-oân",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"Hokkien"
],
"word": "樟腦丸 /樟脑丸"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "chòuqiú",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"Jin"
],
"word": "臭球"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "chòuqiúr",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"dialectal"
],
"word": "臭球兒 /臭球儿"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "uei4 sen1 yenn2 zr",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"Xiang"
],
"word": "衛生丸子 /卫生丸子"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "wèishēngqiú",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "衛生球 /卫生球"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "zhāngnǎowán",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "樟腦丸 /樟脑丸"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"lang_code": "cs",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "naftalín"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"lang_code": "da",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "mølkugle"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "mottenbal"
},
{
"code": "myv",
"lang": "Erzya",
"lang_code": "myv",
"roman": "kińgulovtoma",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "киньгуловтома"
},
{
"code": "fo",
"lang": "Faroese",
"lang_code": "fo",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "mølkúla"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "koinmyrkky"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "koipallo"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"lang_code": "fr",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "boule de naphtaline"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "Mottenkugel"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"lang_code": "el",
"roman": "nafthalíni",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "ναφθαλίνη"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "molyirtó"
},
{
"code": "is",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"lang_code": "is",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "mölkúla"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"lang_code": "it",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "naftalina"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"lang_code": "it",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "pallina tarmicida"
},
{
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"lang_code": "ko",
"roman": "jomyak",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "좀약"
},
{
"code": "lb",
"lang": "Luxembourgish",
"lang_code": "lb",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "Mattekugel"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"lang_code": "mk",
"note": "нафталин (naftalin, literally “mothballs”)",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae"
},
{
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"lang_code": "nb",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine",
"masculine"
],
"word": "møllkule"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"lang_code": "pt",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "naftalina"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"lang_code": "ro",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "naftalină"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "naftalínovyj šárik",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "нафтали́новый ша́рик"
},
{
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"lang_code": "sk",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "naftalín"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "bola de alcanfor"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "bola de naftalina"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "malkula"
},
{
"code": "ta",
"lang": "Tamil",
"lang_code": "ta",
"roman": "anturuṇṭai",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "அந்துருண்டை"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"lang_code": "th",
"roman": "lûuk-měn",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "ลูกเหม็น"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"lang_code": "tr",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "güve ilacı"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"lang_code": "tr",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "naftalin"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"lang_code": "vi",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "băng phiến"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"lang_code": "vi",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "long não"
},
{
"code": "cy",
"lang": "Welsh",
"lang_code": "cy",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "pêl gamffor"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɒθbɔːl/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mothball.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/71/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav.mp3",
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},
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɔθˌbɔl/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɑθˌbɑl/",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"cot-caught-merger"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-mothball.wav",
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}
],
"word": "mothball"
}
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "demothball"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"tags": [
"adjective"
],
"word": "mothballed"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "mothballer"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"tags": [
"noun"
],
"word": "mothballing"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "unmothball"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "pesticide ball"
},
"expansion": "noun, sense 1",
"name": "senseno"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "noun"
},
"expansion": "noun",
"name": "lg"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "moth",
"3": "ball",
"notext": "1",
"type": "exocentric"
},
"expansion": "moth + ball",
"name": "compound"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "verb"
},
"expansion": "verb",
"name": "lg"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The noun is derived from moth + ball. The verb is derived from the noun.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "mothballs",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "mothballing",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "mothballed",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "mothballed",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "mothball (third-person singular simple present mothballs, present participle mothballing, simple past and past participle mothballed)",
"name": "en-verb"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "transitive"
},
"expansion": "(transitive)",
"name": "tlb"
}
],
"hyphenations": [
{
"parts": [
"moth",
"ball"
]
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "16 15 36 33",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English exocentric compounds",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To store (clothing, etc.) with mothballs (noun noun, sense 1)."
],
"id": "en-mothball-en-verb-wfhJh3bh",
"links": [
[
"store",
"store#Verb"
],
[
"clothing",
"clothing#Noun"
],
[
"mothballs",
"mothball#Noun"
]
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "91 4 5",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "to store (clothing, etc.) with mothballs",
"word": "suojata koipalloilla"
}
]
},
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "demothball"
},
{
"word": "unmothball"
}
],
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "16 15 36 33",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English exocentric compounds",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
5,
15
]
],
"text": "They mothballed the old version after the new one came out.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
204,
215
]
],
"ref": "1965 October 16, “News and Views: Energy Forecasts for Britain”, in Nature: A Weekly Journal of Science, volume 208, number 5007, London: Macmillan (Journals); New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →OCLC, page 229, column 2:",
"text": "There is already considerable spare primary capacity because the coal is accessible and merely needs the men and machines to get it. We are unaware, however, of the physical and economic possibilities of mothballing pits, or of the extent to which the present surplus capacity of 40 million tons would match the capacity of loss-making pits which one would like to close.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
87,
98
]
],
"ref": "1967, Robert G[reenhalgh] Albion, “United States. [33. Navy.]”, in The Encyclopedia Americana […], international edition, volume 27 (Trace to Venial Sin), New York, N.Y.: Americana Corporation, →OCLC, page 709, column 2:",
"text": "Following the war, along with the inevitable sharp reduction of forces, including the \"mothballing\" of a considerable part of the fleet as an inactive reserve, there were a few important developments affecting the navy.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
132,
143
]
],
"ref": "2012, Sean Howe, chapter 16, in Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, New York, N.Y.: Harper, →ISBN:",
"text": "Years later, he [Walter Simonson] characterized the company's behavior as \"abrupt, rude, and disrespectful,\" and railed against the mothballing of veteran creators.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
184,
194
]
],
"ref": "2014 September 23, a teacher [pseudonym], “Choosing a primary school: a teacher’s guide for parents”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 Jul 2025:",
"text": "Some schools might have an art studio, an area of forestry in the playground, or a performance stage in the hall – all exceptional assets. Just check they get plenty of use and aren't mothballed while the school concentrates on (you guessed it) maths and literacy.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
48,
56
]
],
"ref": "2021 March 10, Paul Shannon, “Freight’s New Gateways Score Highly on Location and Layout”, in Rail, number 926, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 34:",
"text": "In the short term NR [National Rail] could well mothball the line given its lack of traffic.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
73,
83
]
],
"ref": "2021 December 13, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger, Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 Dec 2021:",
"text": "Before [Elon] Musk, America's space industry was moribund. In 2011, NASA mothballed the last space shuttle, after inking a deal with SpaceX to make uncrewed cargo resupply runs to the International Space Station (ISS).",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future."
],
"id": "en-mothball-en-verb-1O9pmS23",
"links": [
[
"stop",
"stop#Verb"
],
[
"using",
"use#Verb"
],
[
"put",
"put#Verb"
],
[
"storage",
"storage#Noun"
],
[
"keeping",
"keep#Verb"
],
[
"good",
"good#Adjective"
],
[
"condition",
"condition#Noun"
],
[
"future",
"future#Noun"
]
],
"qualifier": "chiefly passive voice",
"raw_glosses": [
"(figurative, chiefly passive voice)",
"To stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively",
"transitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"lang_code": "bg",
"roman": "konserviram",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "консервирам"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"lang_code": "bg",
"roman": "pribiram",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "прибирам"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "in de mottenballen leggen"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "hyllyttää"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "einmotten"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "elhalaszt"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "hu",
"english": "to defer a project",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"tags": [
"usually"
],
"translation": "to defer a project",
"word": "elnapol"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "félretesz"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "tartalékba tesz"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"alt": "~wo tsukawazuni totteoku",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"lang_code": "ja",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "〜を使わずにとっておく"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"lang_code": "nb",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "legge på is"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"lang_code": "pt",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "engavetar"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "zakonservirovatʹ",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "законсервировать"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"tags": [
"figuratively"
],
"word": "förpuppa"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "lägga i malpåse"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "lägga på hyllan"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 95 4",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "lägga på is"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "23 5 17 55",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 15 36 33",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English exocentric compounds",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "21 7 9 63",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Entries with translation boxes",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "20 13 7 60",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "21 6 7 66",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 8 11 63",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "22 9 12 57",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Cantonese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 61",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Cebuano translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Czech translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 5 11 65",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Danish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 12 14 58",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 9 11 61",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Erzya translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Faroese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "18 11 12 58",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with French translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with German translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 10 23 48",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Greek translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 8 12 61",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Hokkien translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "22 7 23 48",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Icelandic translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 60",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Italian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "21 8 10 60",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Korean translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 61",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Luxembourgish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Macedonian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "23 8 16 54",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "20 10 13 57",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "16 8 10 67",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Russian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Slovak translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "15 9 10 66",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 61",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Tamil translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "22 8 11 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Thai translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 61",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "19 9 12 59",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Vietnamese translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "17 12 15 56",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Welsh translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
113,
124
]
],
"ref": "1991 September 26, [Carl] Levin, “Department of Defense Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 1992”, in Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 102d Congress, First Session (United States Senate), volume 137, part 17, Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 24260, column 3:",
"text": "The fact that the START Treaty has just been signed is reason enough not to build one rail garrison train before mothballing the project.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To stop work on (a plan, project, etc.) for the time being; to postpone, to shelve."
],
"id": "en-mothball-en-verb-FemPbIE8",
"links": [
[
"work",
"work#Noun"
],
[
"plan",
"plan#Noun"
],
[
"project",
"project#Noun"
],
[
"for the time being",
"for the time being"
],
[
"postpone",
"postpone"
],
[
"shelve",
"shelve#Verb"
]
],
"qualifier": "chiefly passive voice",
"raw_glosses": [
"(figurative, chiefly passive voice)",
"To stop work on (a plan, project, etc.) for the time being; to postpone, to shelve."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "defer"
},
{
"word": "set aside"
}
],
"tags": [
"figuratively",
"transitive"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɒθbɔːl/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mothball.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/71/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/71/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav.ogg"
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɔθˌbɔl/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɑθˌbɑl/",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"cot-caught-merger"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-mothball.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/51/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_%28NaomiAmethyst%29-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_%28NaomiAmethyst%29-mothball.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/51/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_%28NaomiAmethyst%29-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_%28NaomiAmethyst%29-mothball.wav.ogg"
}
],
"word": "mothball"
}
{
"categories": [
"English compound terms",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English exocentric compounds",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English transitive verbs",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"Terms with Cantonese translations",
"Terms with Cebuano translations",
"Terms with Czech translations",
"Terms with Danish translations",
"Terms with Dutch translations",
"Terms with Erzya translations",
"Terms with Faroese translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Greek translations",
"Terms with Hokkien translations",
"Terms with Hungarian translations",
"Terms with Icelandic translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Japanese translations",
"Terms with Korean translations",
"Terms with Luxembourgish translations",
"Terms with Macedonian translations",
"Terms with Mandarin translations",
"Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
"Terms with Portuguese translations",
"Terms with Romanian translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Slovak translations",
"Terms with Spanish translations",
"Terms with Swedish translations",
"Terms with Tamil translations",
"Terms with Thai translations",
"Terms with Turkish translations",
"Terms with Vietnamese translations",
"Terms with Welsh translations"
],
"derived": [
{
"english": "kept in good condition for later use",
"translation": "kept in good condition for later use",
"word": "in mothballs"
},
{
"word": "mothbally"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "pesticide ball"
},
"expansion": "noun, sense 1",
"name": "senseno"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "noun"
},
"expansion": "noun",
"name": "lg"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "moth",
"3": "ball",
"notext": "1",
"type": "exocentric"
},
"expansion": "moth + ball",
"name": "compound"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "verb"
},
"expansion": "verb",
"name": "lg"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The noun is derived from moth + ball. The verb is derived from the noun.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "mothballs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "moth-ball",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "moth ball",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "mothball (plural mothballs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"hyphenations": [
{
"parts": [
"moth",
"ball"
]
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
113,
122
]
],
"ref": "1904, E. P. Burlingame, “Financial Statement to Accompany the Report of the Adjutant General”, in Annual Report of the Adjutant General of Oklahoma: for the Year Ending December 31, 1904 […], Guthrie, Okla.: The State Capital Company, →OCLC, page 25:",
"text": "There were two carloads of equipments. Upon their return to the armory the blankets were shook and repacked with mothballs; […]",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
61,
71
]
],
"ref": "1907, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “Seats of the Haughty”, in Heart of the West, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company for Review of Reviews Co., →OCLC, page 82:",
"text": "Me and Solly, as I now called him, prepared to shake off our moth-balls and wing our way against the arc-lights of the joyous and tuneful East.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
238,
248
]
],
"ref": "1914 February, Sinclair Lewis, “He Becomes Mildly Religious and Highly Literary”, in Our Mr. Wrenn: The Romantic Adventures of a Gentle Man, New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC, pages 213–214:",
"text": "The church interior was as comfortable as Sunday-morning toast and marmalade— […] gorgeous stained-glass windows, and a general polite creaking of ladies' best stays and gentlemen's stiff shirt-bosoms, and an odor of the best cologne and moth-balls.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
227,
236
]
],
"ref": "1955 July 21, [Richard Lewis] Neuberger, “Education Benefits rather than Compulsion for a Ready Reserve Force”, in Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 84th Congress, First Session (United States Senate), volume 101, part 9, Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 11131, column 2:",
"text": "Mr. President, I have supported the draft and shall do so as long as it is necessary. But I believe that when a draftee has served his 2 years and is released for normal civilian life, he should be free to place his uniform in mothballs until the Nation's safety requires his return to active duty.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A small ball of chemical pesticide (originally camphor and now typically naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles to deter moth larvae which may damage them."
],
"links": [
[
"small",
"small#Adjective"
],
[
"ball",
"ball#Noun"
],
[
"chemical",
"chemical#Adjective"
],
[
"pesticide",
"pesticide"
],
[
"camphor",
"camphor"
],
[
"naphthalene",
"naphthalene"
],
[
"paradichlorobenzene",
"paradichlorobenzene"
],
[
"deodorant",
"deodorant#Adjective"
],
[
"placed",
"place#Verb"
],
[
"clothing",
"clothing#Noun"
],
[
"articles",
"article#Noun"
],
[
"deter",
"deter"
],
[
"moth",
"moth#Noun"
],
[
"larva",
"larva"
],
[
"damage",
"damage#Verb"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(chiefly in the plural) A small ball of chemical pesticide (originally camphor and now typically naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles to deter moth larvae which may damage them."
],
"senseid": [
"en:pesticide ball"
],
"tags": [
"in-plural"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɒθbɔːl/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mothball.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/71/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav.mp3",
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},
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɔθˌbɔl/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɑθˌbɑl/",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"cot-caught-merger"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-mothball.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/51/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_%28NaomiAmethyst%29-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_%28NaomiAmethyst%29-mothball.wav.mp3",
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}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"lang_code": "bg",
"roman": "topče naftalin",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "топче нафталин"
},
{
"code": "ceb",
"lang": "Cebuano",
"lang_code": "ceb",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "naptalina"
},
{
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"lang_code": "yue",
"roman": "wai⁶ sang¹ kau⁴",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "衛生球 /卫生球"
},
{
"alt": "zoeng¹ nou⁵ jyun⁴⁻²",
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"lang_code": "yue",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "樟腦丸 /樟脑丸"
},
{
"code": "nan-hbl",
"lang": "Chinese",
"lang_code": "nan-hbl",
"roman": "zh-min-nan",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"Hokkien"
],
"word": "臭丸"
},
{
"code": "nan-hbl",
"lang": "Chinese",
"lang_code": "nan-hbl",
"roman": "chiuⁿ-ló-oân",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"Hokkien"
],
"word": "樟腦丸 /樟脑丸"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "chòuqiú",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"Jin"
],
"word": "臭球"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "chòuqiúr",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"dialectal"
],
"word": "臭球兒 /臭球儿"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "uei4 sen1 yenn2 zr",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"Xiang"
],
"word": "衛生丸子 /卫生丸子"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "wèishēngqiú",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "衛生球 /卫生球"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"lang_code": "cmn",
"roman": "zhāngnǎowán",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "樟腦丸 /樟脑丸"
},
{
"code": "cs",
"lang": "Czech",
"lang_code": "cs",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "naftalín"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"lang_code": "da",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "mølkugle"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "mottenbal"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "mottenbal"
},
{
"code": "myv",
"lang": "Erzya",
"lang_code": "myv",
"roman": "kińgulovtoma",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "киньгуловтома"
},
{
"code": "fo",
"lang": "Faroese",
"lang_code": "fo",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "mølkúla"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "koinmyrkky"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "koipallo"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"lang_code": "fr",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "boule de naphtaline"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "Mottenkugel"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"lang_code": "el",
"roman": "nafthalíni",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "ναφθαλίνη"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "molyirtó"
},
{
"code": "is",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"lang_code": "is",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "mölkúla"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"lang_code": "it",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "naftalina"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"lang_code": "it",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "pallina tarmicida"
},
{
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"lang_code": "ko",
"roman": "jomyak",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "좀약"
},
{
"code": "lb",
"lang": "Luxembourgish",
"lang_code": "lb",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "Mattekugel"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"lang_code": "mk",
"note": "нафталин (naftalin, literally “mothballs”)",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae"
},
{
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"lang_code": "nb",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine",
"masculine"
],
"word": "møllkule"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"lang_code": "pt",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "naftalina"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"lang_code": "ro",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "naftalină"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "naftalínovyj šárik",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "нафтали́новый ша́рик"
},
{
"code": "sk",
"lang": "Slovak",
"lang_code": "sk",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "naftalín"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "bola de alcanfor"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"lang_code": "es",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "bola de naftalina"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"common-gender"
],
"word": "malkula"
},
{
"code": "ta",
"lang": "Tamil",
"lang_code": "ta",
"roman": "anturuṇṭai",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "அந்துருண்டை"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"lang_code": "th",
"roman": "lûuk-měn",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "ลูกเหม็น"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"lang_code": "tr",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "güve ilacı"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"lang_code": "tr",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "naftalin"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"lang_code": "vi",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "băng phiến"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"lang_code": "vi",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"word": "long não"
},
{
"code": "cy",
"lang": "Welsh",
"lang_code": "cy",
"sense": "small ball of chemical pesticide to deter moth larvae",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "pêl gamffor"
}
],
"word": "mothball"
}
{
"categories": [
"English compound terms",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English exocentric compounds",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English transitive verbs",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"Terms with Cantonese translations",
"Terms with Cebuano translations",
"Terms with Czech translations",
"Terms with Danish translations",
"Terms with Dutch translations",
"Terms with Erzya translations",
"Terms with Faroese translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Greek translations",
"Terms with Hokkien translations",
"Terms with Hungarian translations",
"Terms with Icelandic translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Japanese translations",
"Terms with Korean translations",
"Terms with Luxembourgish translations",
"Terms with Macedonian translations",
"Terms with Mandarin translations",
"Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
"Terms with Portuguese translations",
"Terms with Romanian translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Slovak translations",
"Terms with Spanish translations",
"Terms with Swedish translations",
"Terms with Tamil translations",
"Terms with Thai translations",
"Terms with Turkish translations",
"Terms with Vietnamese translations",
"Terms with Welsh translations"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "demothball"
},
{
"tags": [
"adjective"
],
"word": "mothballed"
},
{
"word": "mothballer"
},
{
"tags": [
"noun"
],
"word": "mothballing"
},
{
"word": "unmothball"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "pesticide ball"
},
"expansion": "noun, sense 1",
"name": "senseno"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "noun"
},
"expansion": "noun",
"name": "lg"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "moth",
"3": "ball",
"notext": "1",
"type": "exocentric"
},
"expansion": "moth + ball",
"name": "compound"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "verb"
},
"expansion": "verb",
"name": "lg"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The noun is derived from moth + ball. The verb is derived from the noun.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "mothballs",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "mothballing",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "mothballed",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "mothballed",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "mothball (third-person singular simple present mothballs, present participle mothballing, simple past and past participle mothballed)",
"name": "en-verb"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "transitive"
},
"expansion": "(transitive)",
"name": "tlb"
}
],
"hyphenations": [
{
"parts": [
"moth",
"ball"
]
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"glosses": [
"To store (clothing, etc.) with mothballs (noun noun, sense 1)."
],
"links": [
[
"store",
"store#Verb"
],
[
"clothing",
"clothing#Noun"
],
[
"mothballs",
"mothball#Noun"
]
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"antonyms": [
{
"word": "demothball"
},
{
"word": "unmothball"
}
],
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
5,
15
]
],
"text": "They mothballed the old version after the new one came out.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
204,
215
]
],
"ref": "1965 October 16, “News and Views: Energy Forecasts for Britain”, in Nature: A Weekly Journal of Science, volume 208, number 5007, London: Macmillan (Journals); New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →OCLC, page 229, column 2:",
"text": "There is already considerable spare primary capacity because the coal is accessible and merely needs the men and machines to get it. We are unaware, however, of the physical and economic possibilities of mothballing pits, or of the extent to which the present surplus capacity of 40 million tons would match the capacity of loss-making pits which one would like to close.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
87,
98
]
],
"ref": "1967, Robert G[reenhalgh] Albion, “United States. [33. Navy.]”, in The Encyclopedia Americana […], international edition, volume 27 (Trace to Venial Sin), New York, N.Y.: Americana Corporation, →OCLC, page 709, column 2:",
"text": "Following the war, along with the inevitable sharp reduction of forces, including the \"mothballing\" of a considerable part of the fleet as an inactive reserve, there were a few important developments affecting the navy.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
132,
143
]
],
"ref": "2012, Sean Howe, chapter 16, in Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, New York, N.Y.: Harper, →ISBN:",
"text": "Years later, he [Walter Simonson] characterized the company's behavior as \"abrupt, rude, and disrespectful,\" and railed against the mothballing of veteran creators.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
184,
194
]
],
"ref": "2014 September 23, a teacher [pseudonym], “Choosing a primary school: a teacher’s guide for parents”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 Jul 2025:",
"text": "Some schools might have an art studio, an area of forestry in the playground, or a performance stage in the hall – all exceptional assets. Just check they get plenty of use and aren't mothballed while the school concentrates on (you guessed it) maths and literacy.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
48,
56
]
],
"ref": "2021 March 10, Paul Shannon, “Freight’s New Gateways Score Highly on Location and Layout”, in Rail, number 926, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 34:",
"text": "In the short term NR [National Rail] could well mothball the line given its lack of traffic.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
73,
83
]
],
"ref": "2021 December 13, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger, Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 Dec 2021:",
"text": "Before [Elon] Musk, America's space industry was moribund. In 2011, NASA mothballed the last space shuttle, after inking a deal with SpaceX to make uncrewed cargo resupply runs to the International Space Station (ISS).",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future."
],
"links": [
[
"stop",
"stop#Verb"
],
[
"using",
"use#Verb"
],
[
"put",
"put#Verb"
],
[
"storage",
"storage#Noun"
],
[
"keeping",
"keep#Verb"
],
[
"good",
"good#Adjective"
],
[
"condition",
"condition#Noun"
],
[
"future",
"future#Noun"
]
],
"qualifier": "chiefly passive voice",
"raw_glosses": [
"(figurative, chiefly passive voice)",
"To stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively",
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
113,
124
]
],
"ref": "1991 September 26, [Carl] Levin, “Department of Defense Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 1992”, in Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 102d Congress, First Session (United States Senate), volume 137, part 17, Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 24260, column 3:",
"text": "The fact that the START Treaty has just been signed is reason enough not to build one rail garrison train before mothballing the project.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To stop work on (a plan, project, etc.) for the time being; to postpone, to shelve."
],
"links": [
[
"work",
"work#Noun"
],
[
"plan",
"plan#Noun"
],
[
"project",
"project#Noun"
],
[
"for the time being",
"for the time being"
],
[
"postpone",
"postpone"
],
[
"shelve",
"shelve#Verb"
]
],
"qualifier": "chiefly passive voice",
"raw_glosses": [
"(figurative, chiefly passive voice)",
"To stop work on (a plan, project, etc.) for the time being; to postpone, to shelve."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "defer"
},
{
"word": "set aside"
}
],
"tags": [
"figuratively",
"transitive"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɒθbɔːl/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mothball.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/71/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/71/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-mothball.wav.ogg"
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɔθˌbɔl/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈmɑθˌbɑl/",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"cot-caught-merger"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-mothball.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/51/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_%28NaomiAmethyst%29-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_%28NaomiAmethyst%29-mothball.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/51/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_%28NaomiAmethyst%29-mothball.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_%28NaomiAmethyst%29-mothball.wav.ogg"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "to store (clothing, etc.) with mothballs",
"word": "suojata koipalloilla"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"lang_code": "bg",
"roman": "konserviram",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "консервирам"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"lang_code": "bg",
"roman": "pribiram",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "прибирам"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"lang_code": "nl",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "in de mottenballen leggen"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"lang_code": "fi",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "hyllyttää"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"lang_code": "de",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "einmotten"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "elhalaszt"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"english": "to defer a project",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"tags": [
"usually"
],
"translation": "to defer a project",
"word": "elnapol"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "félretesz"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"lang_code": "hu",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "tartalékba tesz"
},
{
"alt": "~wo tsukawazuni totteoku",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"lang_code": "ja",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "〜を使わずにとっておく"
},
{
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"lang_code": "nb",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "legge på is"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"lang_code": "pt",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "engavetar"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"roman": "zakonservirovatʹ",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "законсервировать"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"tags": [
"figuratively"
],
"word": "förpuppa"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "lägga i malpåse"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "lägga på hyllan"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"lang_code": "sv",
"sense": "to stop using (something), and often to put it in storage; specifically, while keeping it in good condition so it can be used in the future",
"word": "lägga på is"
}
],
"word": "mothball"
}
Download raw JSONL data for mothball meaning in English (27.4kB)
{
"called_from": "form_descriptions/2013",
"msg": "more than one value in \"roman\": chhàu-oân vs. zh-min-nan",
"path": [
"mothball"
],
"section": "English",
"subsection": "noun",
"title": "mothball",
"trace": ""
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-16 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (d1270d2 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.