molting
/ˈmoʊltɪŋ/
noun
- The process of shedding feathers, skin, or shell to allow for new growth.
- Scientists study molting in insects to understand their life cycles.
- Molting is a stressful time for birds because they lose their ability to fly.
- The crab hides during molting to protect its soft new shell.
Synonyms
adjective
- Currently shedding feathers, skin, or shell.
- We found a molting snake in the garden, its old skin peeling off.
- The molting chicken looked scruffy with patches of bare skin.
- The molting lobster was vulnerable to predators.