mothball

ˈmɔθˌbɔl

Definition

Conjugation

Definition of mothball - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

clothing protection

Rare

small chemical ball protecting clothes from moths

Rare

She placed mothballs in the closet to protect her sweaters.

camphor ball

storage status

Rare

state of being stored or set aside for future use

Rare

The old factory was put in mothball after the new one was built..

Verb

tr.

temporary halt

Rare

stop using something temporarily but keep it ready

Rare

They mothballed the project until further notice.

defer

shelve

suspend

postponement

Rare

postpone work on a project or activity

Rare

The team mothballed the new app development.

defer

shelve

facility maintenance

Rare

take a facility out of operation for future use

Rare

The plant was mothballed due to low demand.

decommission

idle

suspend

Add a suggestion |

Feedback:

Images of mothball

small chemical ball protecting clothes from moths

Origin of mothball

English, moth (insect) + ball (spherical object)

Examples of mothball in a sentence

The strong smell of mothballs filled the storage room.
The ship was kept in mothball for decades.
The project was put in mothball due to budget cuts.
The company decided to mothball the old factory.
They had to mothball the equipment during the off-season.
They decided to mothball the expansion plans until next year.

The project was mothballed due to budget cuts.
They decided to mothball the old factory.
The ship was mothballed until further notice.

View all translations of mothball

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.

French:boule antimites, suspendre, ...
German:Mottenkugel, auf Eis legen, ...
Italian:antitarma, mettere in naftalina, ...
Spanish:naftalina, dejar en suspenso, ...
Portuguese:naftalina, suspender, ...
Chinese:樟脑球, 封存, ...
Japanese:防虫剤, 一時停止する, ...
Arabic:كُرَة نَفْثَالِين, وَضَعَ في الاحتياط, ...
Hebrew:כַּדּוּר נֶפְטַלִין, לְהַקְפִּיא, ...
Russian:нафталиновые шарики, законсервировать, ...
Ukrainian:нафталінова кулька, законсервувати, ...
Hindi:नेफ़्थलीन की गोली, स्थगित करना, ...
Bengali:মথবল, অস্থায়ীভাবে বন্ধ রাখা, ...
Catalan:naftalina, posposar, ...
Czech:naftalín, zakonzervovat, ...
Danish:mølkugle, lægge på is, ...
Dutch:mottenbal, in de mottenballen leggen, ...
Greek:ναφθαλίνη, αναστέλλω προσωρινά, ...
Hungarian:molyirtó golyó, tartalékba helyezni, ...
Khmer:គ្រាប់សារធាតុគីមីការពារខោអាវពីខែ, ផ្អាកប្រើប្រាស់ជាបណ្តោះអាសន្ន, ...
Korean:방충제, 중단하다, ...
Persian:گوی ضدبید, متوقف کرد, ...
Polish:kulka na mole, zawiesić, ...
Portuguese (BR):naftalina, suspender, ...
Romanian:naftalină, a suspenda, ...
Swedish:malboll, lägga på is, ...
Thai:ลูกบอลกันมอด, หยุดชั่วคราว, ...
Turkish:naftalin topu, askıya almak, ...
Vietnamese:viên chống mối mọt, tạm ngừng, ...

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

100,000 expressions & idioms Understand any expression you come across: from corporate jargon like 💬 touch base or ↩️ circle back to everyday expressions such as 🌊 out of the blue or 🦆 lame duck, as well as idioms like 🍲 spill the beans and 🐎 hold your horses.

40,000 images When you search for a concrete noun or object, images help you grasp the meaning at a glance. Try searching for 🧵 puppytooth, 🎠 merry-go-round, ⚜️ fleur-de-lys, or 💤 bunk bed.

Informal language & slang Everyday conversations are packed with informal expressions and slang. Meanings are clearly tagged, so you'll always know when a word is casual. Look up hangry (😋 hungry + 😡 angry), 😎 rizz, 🕹️ noob, or 🔑 low-key.

Abbreviations & acronyms Quickly decode modern abbreviations and acronyms. Go from IDK to OMG in seconds and stay up to date with popular abbreviations such as 🐐 GOAT, 📜 tl;dr, 👀 POV, or 🖥️ AFK.

Regional usage (US / UK) Reverso highlights regional differences between American and British English. You’ll never have to wonder where a word is commonly used: try lift vs. elevator, courgette vs. zucchini, or popular British slang like dodgy or banter. What’s more, when you search for 'color', you’ll immediately see its British counterpart, 'colour'.

Get more than a simple definition

Translations for each meaning View translations alongside each meaning to see how a word is translated in each context. Simply toggle translations ON and choose among 25+ languages. You can also display the translation of definitions or examples into your native language to deepen your understanding.

Synonyms & related words by meaning View synonyms and related words for each meaning, not just for the word as a whole. This helps you choose the most accurate word for your context. Click the

icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.

Multiple examples for every meaning Each meaning comes with three real-life examples to show you how the word is used in different contexts. Click the

icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.

Go from understanding to mastery

Save words for later review Click the

icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the

icon next to it. For example, you might want to save the word “table” as a verb, which means “to postpone”.

Practice with personalized flashcards Reverso automatically transforms your searches and saved words into personalized flashcards and quizzes, featuring high-quality audio and usage examples. This helps you transform terms you only recognize into words you actually use confidently.

Learn with Netflix, YouTube, and your favorite texts With Reverso Chrome extension, transform movies, TV shows, articles, or song lyrics into an interactive lesson. Look up words and expressions in one click on any website and learn with your favorite content.

Definition of mothball - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

Verb

Images of mothball

Origin of mothball

Terms related to mothball

Examples of mothball in a sentence

View all translations of mothball

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery