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  1. Dictionary
    mothball
    /ˈmɒθbɔːl/

    noun

    • 1. a small pellet of a pungent substance, typically naphthalene, put in among stored garments to keep away clothes moths.

    verb

    • 1. store (clothes) with mothballs.
    • 2. stop using (a piece of equipment or a building) but keep it in good condition so that it can readily be used again: "it would cost the company a lot of money just to mothball the mine"

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  2. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › mothballMothball - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

    noun. a small sphere of camphor or naphthalene used to keep moths away from stored clothing. synonyms: camphor ball.

  3. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishMOTHBALL definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

    A mothball is a small ball made of a special chemical, which you can put among clothes or blankets in order to keep moths away.

  4. www.thefreedictionary.com › mothballMothball - definition of mothball by The Free Dictionary

    1. a small ball of naphthalene or sometimes of camphor for placing in closets or other storage areas to repel moths. 2. in mothballs, a. in reserve or storage. b. in a state of disuse, rejection, or repudiation: That idea belongs in mothballs. v.t. 3. to put into storage; inactivate. adj.

  5. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishMeaning of mothball in English - Cambridge Dictionary

    to stop work on an idea, plan, or job, but leaving it in such a way that you can start on it again at some point in the future: Six coal mines were mothballed in the hope that they could be reopened in a time of better economic conditions. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.

  6. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › mothballMothball Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

    The meaning of MOTHBALL is a ball made formerly of camphor but now often of naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene and used to keep moths from clothing. How to use mothball in a sentence.

  7. www.oed.com › dictionary › mothball_nmothball, n. & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English...

    What does the word mothball mean? There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the word mothball. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. mothball has developed meanings and uses in subjects including. weaponry (1940s) education (1940s) navy (1940s) mechanics (1970s) See meaning & use.

  8. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishmothball noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage...

    Definition of mothball noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

  9. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionaryMOTHBALL | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

    mothball. noun. us / ˈmɑːθ.bɑːl / uk / ˈmɒθ.bɔːl / Add to word list. a small, white ball containing a chemical with a strong smell that keeps moths away from clothes: I've inherited a vintage fur coat, but it smells like mothballs. The camphor in mothballs damages natural skins. Winai_Tepsuttinun/iStock/Getty Images Plus/GettyImages.

  10. www.britannica.com › dictionary › mothballMothball Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

    MOTHBALL meaning: 1 : a small ball that contains a strong-smelling chemical and that is used to keep moths away from stored clothing; 2 : used in phrases like {phrase}in/into mothballs {/phrase} and {phrase}out of mothballs {/phrase} to describe something that is stored without being used for a long time sometimes used to describe a person ...

  11. www.yourdictionary.com › mothballMothball Definition - YourDictionary

    Mothball definition: A marble-sized ball, originally of camphor but now of naphthalene, stored with clothes to repel moths.