Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
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- [mawth-bawl, moth-]
- /ˈmɔθˌbɔl, ˈmɒθ-/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [mawth-bawl, moth-]
- /ˈmɔθˌbɔl, ˈmɒθ-/
Definitions of mothballed word
- noun mothballed a small ball of naphthalene or sometimes of camphor for placing in closets or other storage areas to repel moths from clothing, blankets, etc. 1
- verb with object mothballed to put into storage or reserve; inactivate. 1
- adjective mothballed inactive; unused; stored away: a mothball fleet. 1
- idioms mothballed in mothballs, in disuse or in storage, especially with reference to standby equipment. (of ideas) dismissed as unworthy of further deliberation. 1
- noun mothballed Simple past tense and past participle of mothball. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of mothballed
First appearance:
before 1905 One of the 15% newest English words
First recorded in 1905-10; moth + ball1
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Mothballed
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
mothballed popularity
A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 62% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
According to our data about 61% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.
mothballed usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for mothballed
adj mothballed
- dormant — lying asleep or as if asleep; inactive, as in sleep; torpid: The lecturer's sudden shout woke the dormant audience.
- unused — not used; not put to use: an unused room.
- immobile — incapable of moving or being moved.
- jobless — without a job.
- unemployed — not employed; without a job; out of work: an unemployed secretary.
verb mothballed
- perpetuate — to make perpetual.
- protect — to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.
- save — to rescue from danger or possible harm, injury, or loss: to save someone from drowning.
- secure — free from or not exposed to danger or harm; safe.
- uphold — to support or defend, as against opposition or criticism: He fought the duel to uphold his family's honor.
adjective mothballed
- lazy — averse or disinclined to work, activity, or exertion; indolent.
Antonyms for mothballed
adj mothballed
- lively — eventful, stirring, or exciting: The opposition gave us a lively time.
- used — previously used or owned; secondhand: a used car.
- mobile — capable of moving or being moved readily.
- working — exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something; labor; toil.
- active — Someone who is active moves around a lot or does a lot of things.
verb mothballed
- harm — a U.S. air-to-surface missile designed to detect and destroy radar sites by homing on their emissions.
- injure — to do or cause harm of any kind to; damage; hurt; impair: to injure one's hand.
- squander — to spend or use (money, time, etc.) extravagantly or wastefully (often followed by away).
- release — to lease again.
- use — to employ for some purpose; put into service; make use of: to use a knife.
Top questions with mothballed
- what does mothballed mean?
See also
Matching words
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