molted

verb (used without object)

1. (of birds, insects, reptiles, etc.) to cast or shed the feathers, skin, or the like, that will be replaced by a new growth.

verb (used with object)

2. to cast or shed (feathers, skin, etc.) in the process of renewal.

noun

3. an act, process, or an instance of molting.
4. something that is dropped in molting.

verb, noun

1. the usual US spelling of moult

v.also moult, mid-14c., mouten, of feathers, “to be shed,” from Old English *mutian “to change” (cf. bemutian “to exchange”), from Latin mutare “to change” (see mutable). Transitive sense, of birds, “to shed feathers” is first attested 1520s. With parasitic -l-, late 16c., on model of fault, etc. Related: Molted, moulted; molting, moulting. As a noun from 1815. v.

1. To shed periodically part or all of a coat or an outer covering, such as feathers, cuticle, or skin, which is then replaced by a new growth.

n.

1. The act or process of molting.
2. The material cast off during molting.

1. To shed an outer covering, such as skin or feathers, for replacement by a new growth. Many snakes, birds, and arthropods molt.