Moltation
/mɒlˈteɪʃən/noun
The act or process of molting, especially the shedding of an animal’s outer covering.
Did you know?Molt is historically related to mutation through Latin mutare, “to change,” linking biological shedding with the older language of transformation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mey-
“To change or exchange; a reconstructed root associated with alteration.”
Classical Latin
Latin
mūtāre
“To change, alter, or exchange one thing for another.”
Old French
Old French
muer
“To change, transform, or shed an outer covering, especially in reference to animals.”
Middle English
Middle English
mouten
“To molt or shed feathers, hair, or skin.”
Late 15th Century
English
molt
“To shed an outer covering; later, the covering-shedding process itself.”
19th Century
English
moltation
“The act or process of molting, formed from molt with the noun-forming suffix -ation.”