"mothball" meaning in English

See mothball in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /mɒθbɔːl/ [UK] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mothball.wav [Southern-England] Forms: mothballs [plural]
Etymology: moth + ball Etymology templates: {{compound|en|moth|ball}} moth + ball Head templates: {{en-noun}} mothball (plural mothballs)
  1. (usually in the plural) A small ball of chemical pesticide (typically naphthalene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae in order to protect them from this damage. Tags: plural-normally Derived forms: in mothballs (english: kept in good condition for later use), mothbally Translations (small ball): топче нафталин (topče naftalin) (Bulgarian), naptalina (Cebuano), 臭丸 (zh-min-nan) [Hokkien] (Chinese), 樟腦丸 [Hokkien] (Chinese), 樟脑丸 (chiuⁿ-ló-oân) [Hokkien] (Chinese), 衛生球 (Chinese Cantonese), 卫生球 (wai⁶ sang¹ kau⁴) (Chinese Cantonese), 樟腦丸 (Chinese Cantonese), 樟脑丸 (alt: zoeng¹ nou⁵ jyun⁴⁻²) (Chinese Cantonese), 衛生球 (Chinese Mandarin), 卫生球 (wèishēngqiú) (Chinese Mandarin), 樟腦丸 (Chinese Mandarin), 樟脑丸 (zhāngnǎowán) (Chinese Mandarin), naftalín (Czech), mottenbal [masculine] (Dutch), киньгуловтома (kińgulovtoma) (Erzya), koipallo (Finnish), koinmyrkky (Finnish), boule de naphtaline [feminine] (French), Mottenkugel [feminine] (German), ναφθαλίνη (nafthalíni) [feminine] (Greek), molyirtó (Hungarian), pallina tarmicida [feminine] (Italian), naftalina [feminine] (Italian), 좀약 (jomyak) (Korean), Mattekugel (Luxembourgish), møllkule [feminine, masculine] (Norwegian Bokmål), naftalina [feminine] (Portuguese), naftalină [feminine] (Romanian), нафтали́новый ша́рик (naftalínovyj šárik) [masculine] (Russian), bola de naftalina [feminine] (Spanish), bola de alcanfor [feminine] (Spanish), malkula [common-gender] (Swedish), அந்துருண்டை (anturuṇṭai) (Tamil), naftalin (Turkish), pêl gamffor [feminine] (Welsh)
    Sense id: en-mothball-en-noun-1z5H2X5M
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: moth ball, moth-ball

Verb

IPA: /mɒθbɔːl/ [UK] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mothball.wav [Southern-England] Forms: mothballs [present, singular, third-person], mothballing [participle, present], mothballed [participle, past], mothballed [past]
Etymology: moth + ball Etymology templates: {{compound|en|moth|ball}} moth + ball Head templates: {{en-verb}} mothball (third-person singular simple present mothballs, present participle mothballing, simple past and past participle mothballed)
  1. (transitive) To store or shelve something no longer used. Tags: transitive Synonyms: store, shelve, set aside, defer Translations (to store something no longer used): прибирам (pribiram) (Bulgarian), консервирам (konserviram) (Bulgarian), in de mottenballen leggen (Dutch), hyllyttää (Finnish), einmotten (German), félretesz (Hungarian), tartalékba tesz (Hungarian), elnapol (english: defer e.g. project) (Hungarian), elhalaszt (Hungarian), 〜を使わずにとっておく (alt: ~wo tsukawazuni totteoku) (Japanese), legge på is (Norwegian Bokmål), engavetar (Portuguese), законсервировать (zakonservirovatʹ) (Russian), lägga i malpåse (Swedish), lägga på is (Swedish), lägga på hyllan (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-mothball-en-verb-~XsQkHxu Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 32 63 4 Disambiguation of 'to store something no longer used': 98 2
  2. (transitive, figuratively) To stop using (something), but keep it in good condition. Tags: figuratively, transitive
    Sense id: en-mothball-en-verb-alGI3aKt
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: moth ball, moth-ball Derived forms: mothballed, mothballer

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for mothball meaning in English (11.1kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "moth",
        "3": "ball"
      },
      "expansion": "moth + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "moth + ball",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "mothballs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "mothball (plural mothballs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "derived": [
        {
          "english": "kept in good condition for later use",
          "word": "in mothballs"
        },
        {
          "word": "mothbally"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A small ball of chemical pesticide (typically naphthalene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae in order to protect them from this damage."
      ],
      "id": "en-mothball-en-noun-1z5H2X5M",
      "links": [
        [
          "ball",
          "ball"
        ],
        [
          "pesticide",
          "pesticide"
        ],
        [
          "naphthalene",
          "naphthalene"
        ],
        [
          "deodorant",
          "deodorant"
        ],
        [
          "clothing",
          "clothing"
        ],
        [
          "mold",
          "mold"
        ],
        [
          "moth",
          "moth"
        ],
        [
          "larvae",
          "larvae"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(usually in the plural) A small ball of chemical pesticide (typically naphthalene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae in order to protect them from this damage."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural-normally"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "topče naftalin",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "топче нафталин"
        },
        {
          "code": "ceb",
          "lang": "Cebuano",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "naptalina"
        },
        {
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "衛生球"
        },
        {
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "roman": "wai⁶ sang¹ kau⁴",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "卫生球"
        },
        {
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "樟腦丸"
        },
        {
          "alt": "zoeng¹ nou⁵ jyun⁴⁻²",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "樟脑丸"
        },
        {
          "code": "nan-hbl",
          "lang": "Chinese",
          "roman": "zh-min-nan",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "Hokkien"
          ],
          "word": "臭丸"
        },
        {
          "code": "nan-hbl",
          "lang": "Chinese",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "Hokkien"
          ],
          "word": "樟腦丸"
        },
        {
          "code": "nan-hbl",
          "lang": "Chinese",
          "roman": "chiuⁿ-ló-oân",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "Hokkien"
          ],
          "word": "樟脑丸"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "衛生球"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "wèishēngqiú",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "卫生球"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "樟腦丸"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "zhāngnǎowán",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "樟脑丸"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "naftalín"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "mottenbal"
        },
        {
          "code": "myv",
          "lang": "Erzya",
          "roman": "kińgulovtoma",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "киньгуловтома"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "koipallo"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "koinmyrkky"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "boule de naphtaline"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Mottenkugel"
        },
        {
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "nafthalíni",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ναφθαλίνη"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "molyirtó"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "pallina tarmicida"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "naftalina"
        },
        {
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "jomyak",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "좀약"
        },
        {
          "code": "lb",
          "lang": "Luxembourgish",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "Mattekugel"
        },
        {
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "møllkule"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "naftalina"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "naftalină"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "naftalínovyj šárik",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "нафтали́новый ша́рик"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "bola de naftalina"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "bola de alcanfor"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "malkula"
        },
        {
          "code": "ta",
          "lang": "Tamil",
          "roman": "anturuṇṭai",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "அந்துருண்டை"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "word": "naftalin"
        },
        {
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "small ball",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "pêl gamffor"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/mɒθbɔːl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "moth ball"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "moth-ball"
    }
  ],
  "word": "mothball"
}

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "demothball"
    },
    {
      "word": "unmothball"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "mothballed"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "mothballer"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "moth",
        "3": "ball"
      },
      "expansion": "moth + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "moth + ball",
  "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"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "32 63 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "They mothballed the old version after the new one came out.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "December 13 2021, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger, Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time Magazine",
          "text": "Before 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 store or shelve something no longer used."
      ],
      "id": "en-mothball-en-verb-~XsQkHxu",
      "links": [
        [
          "store",
          "store"
        ],
        [
          "shelve",
          "shelve"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To store or shelve something no longer used."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "store"
        },
        {
          "word": "shelve"
        },
        {
          "word": "set aside"
        },
        {
          "word": "defer"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "pribiram",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "прибирам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "konserviram",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "консервирам"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "in de mottenballen leggen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "hyllyttää"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "einmotten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "félretesz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "tartalékba tesz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "english": "defer e.g. project",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "elnapol"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "elhalaszt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "alt": "~wo tsukawazuni totteoku",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "〜を使わずにとっておく"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "legge på is"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "engavetar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zakonservirovatʹ",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "законсервировать"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "lägga i malpåse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "lägga på is"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "98 2",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to store something no longer used",
          "word": "lägga på hyllan"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014 September 23, A teacher, “Choosing a primary school: a teacher's guide for parents”, in The Guardian",
          "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"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 March 10, Paul Shannon, “Freight's new gateways score highly on location and layout”, in RAIL, number 926, page 34",
          "text": "In the short term NR could well mothball the line given its lack of traffic.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To stop using (something), but keep it in good condition."
      ],
      "id": "en-mothball-en-verb-alGI3aKt",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, figuratively) To stop using (something), but keep it in good condition."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/mɒθbɔːl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "moth ball"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "moth-ball"
    }
  ],
  "word": "mothball"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "english": "kept in good condition for later use",
      "word": "in mothballs"
    },
    {
      "word": "mothbally"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "moth",
        "3": "ball"
      },
      "expansion": "moth + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "moth + ball",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "mothballs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "mothball (plural mothballs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A small ball of chemical pesticide (typically naphthalene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae in order to protect them from this damage."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ball",
          "ball"
        ],
        [
          "pesticide",
          "pesticide"
        ],
        [
          "naphthalene",
          "naphthalene"
        ],
        [
          "deodorant",
          "deodorant"
        ],
        [
          "clothing",
          "clothing"
        ],
        [
          "mold",
          "mold"
        ],
        [
          "moth",
          "moth"
        ],
        [
          "larvae",
          "larvae"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(usually in the plural) A small ball of chemical pesticide (typically naphthalene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae in order to protect them from this damage."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "plural-normally"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/mɒθbɔːl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "moth ball"
    },
    {
      "word": "moth-ball"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "topče naftalin",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "топче нафталин"
    },
    {
      "code": "ceb",
      "lang": "Cebuano",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "naptalina"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "衛生球"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "roman": "wai⁶ sang¹ kau⁴",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "卫生球"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "樟腦丸"
    },
    {
      "alt": "zoeng¹ nou⁵ jyun⁴⁻²",
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "樟脑丸"
    },
    {
      "code": "nan-hbl",
      "lang": "Chinese",
      "roman": "zh-min-nan",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien"
      ],
      "word": "臭丸"
    },
    {
      "code": "nan-hbl",
      "lang": "Chinese",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien"
      ],
      "word": "樟腦丸"
    },
    {
      "code": "nan-hbl",
      "lang": "Chinese",
      "roman": "chiuⁿ-ló-oân",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien"
      ],
      "word": "樟脑丸"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "衛生球"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "wèishēngqiú",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "卫生球"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "樟腦丸"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zhāngnǎowán",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "樟脑丸"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "naftalín"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "mottenbal"
    },
    {
      "code": "myv",
      "lang": "Erzya",
      "roman": "kińgulovtoma",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "киньгуловтома"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "koipallo"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "koinmyrkky"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "boule de naphtaline"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Mottenkugel"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "nafthalíni",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ναφθαλίνη"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "molyirtó"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "pallina tarmicida"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "naftalina"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "jomyak",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "좀약"
    },
    {
      "code": "lb",
      "lang": "Luxembourgish",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "Mattekugel"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "møllkule"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "naftalina"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "naftalină"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "naftalínovyj šárik",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "нафтали́новый ша́рик"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "bola de naftalina"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "bola de alcanfor"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "malkula"
    },
    {
      "code": "ta",
      "lang": "Tamil",
      "roman": "anturuṇṭai",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "அந்துருண்டை"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "word": "naftalin"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "small ball",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "pêl gamffor"
    }
  ],
  "word": "mothball"
}

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "demothball"
    },
    {
      "word": "unmothball"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English compound terms",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "mothballed"
    },
    {
      "word": "mothballer"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "moth",
        "3": "ball"
      },
      "expansion": "moth + ball",
      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "moth + ball",
  "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"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "They mothballed the old version after the new one came out.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "December 13 2021, Molly Ball, Jeffrey Kluger, Alejandro de la Garza, “Elon Musk: Person of the Year 2021”, in Time Magazine",
          "text": "Before 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 store or shelve something no longer used."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "store",
          "store"
        ],
        [
          "shelve",
          "shelve"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To store or shelve something no longer used."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "store"
        },
        {
          "word": "shelve"
        },
        {
          "word": "set aside"
        },
        {
          "word": "defer"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014 September 23, A teacher, “Choosing a primary school: a teacher's guide for parents”, in The Guardian",
          "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"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 March 10, Paul Shannon, “Freight's new gateways score highly on location and layout”, in RAIL, number 926, page 34",
          "text": "In the short term NR could well mothball the line given its lack of traffic.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To stop using (something), but keep it in good condition."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, figuratively) To stop using (something), but keep it in good condition."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/mɒθbɔːl/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "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",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "moth ball"
    },
    {
      "word": "moth-ball"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "pribiram",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "прибирам"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "konserviram",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "консервирам"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "in de mottenballen leggen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "hyllyttää"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "einmotten"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "félretesz"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "tartalékba tesz"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "english": "defer e.g. project",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "elnapol"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "elhalaszt"
    },
    {
      "alt": "~wo tsukawazuni totteoku",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "〜を使わずにとっておく"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "legge på is"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "engavetar"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zakonservirovatʹ",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "законсервировать"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "lägga i malpåse"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "lägga på is"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to store something no longer used",
      "word": "lägga på hyllan"
    }
  ],
  "word": "mothball"
}
{
  "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 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). 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.