Dictionary

1mothball

noun moth·ball \ˈmth-ˌbl\

: a small ball that contains a strong-smelling chemical and that is used to keep moths away from stored clothing

Full Definition of MOTHBALL

1
:  a ball made formerly of camphor but now often of naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene and used to keep moths from clothing
2
plural :  a condition of protective storage <put the ships in mothballs after the war>; also :  a state of having been rejected for further use or dismissed from further consideration
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First Known Use of MOTHBALL

1892

Rhymes with MOTHBALL

ALGOL, and all, Antall, appall, Argall, argol, air ball, ashfall, at all, atoll, AWOL, baseball, beach ball, beanball, befall, Bengal, best-ball, birdcall, blackball, Bokmål, bookstall, box stall, bradawl, brick wall, broomball, catcall, catchall, cell wall, COBOL, cold call, cornball, Cornwall, crown gall, cue ball, cure-all, curveball, deadfall, de Gaulle, dodgeball, downfall, downhaul, drywall, duck call, eight ball, enthrall, eyeball, fair ball, fastball, fireball, fire wall, foosball, football, footfall, footwall, forestall, forkball, foul ball, four-ball, fourth wall, free-fall, gadwall, game ball, glycol, golf ball, Goodall, goofball, googol, guildhall, hair ball, handball, hardball, headstall, heelball, highball, holdall, house call, icefall, infall, install, John Paul, jump ball, keelhaul, know-all, landfall, Landsmål, line-haul, line squall, lowball, Maillol, meatball, menthol, mess hall, miscall, Naipaul, naphthol, Nepal, nightfall, nutgall, oddball, outfall, outhaul, paintball, pinball, pitfall, plimsoll, pratfall, prayer shawl, pub crawl, puffball, punchball, pushball, rainfall, rainsquall, recall, rial, Riksmål, rockfall, roll call, rorqual, Saint Paul, save-all, screwball, seawall, short-haul, shortfall, sick call, sidewall, sleazeball, slimeball, snowball, snowfall, softball, sour ball, speedball, spitball, stickball, stonewall, stone wall, stoopball, strip mall, T-ball, tea ball, tell-all, three-ball, toll call, town hall, trackball, Tyrol, Udall, Walsall, what all, whip stall, Whitehall, whitewall, windfall, windgall, withal, you-all

2mothball

verb

: to stop using (something) while keeping it to be possibly used in the future

Full Definition of MOTHBALL

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

First Known Use of MOTHBALL

1926

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Next Word in the Dictionary: moth beanPrevious Word in the Dictionary: mothAll Words Near: mothball
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