What does molter mean?
The noun molter denotes an animal that is undergoing molting, the periodic shedding of an outer covering. Depending on the animal, that covering may be skin, scales, feathers, hair, or a hard exoskeleton. Molting is especially conspicuous in insects and crustaceans, whose old outer skeleton is left behind, but it also occurs in reptiles, birds, and mammals. The term is rare in ordinary contemporary English and appears mainly in zoological, agricultural, and pest-control contexts. It should not be confused with the more familiar verb molt, which names the action, or with the rarer British spelling moult. A molter is the creature doing the shedding: the process is a molt, and the creature engaged in it is the molter. Although largely technical, the noun usefully identifies an animal at the vulnerable stage when it is emerging from an old covering and its replacement surface is still developing.
nounAn animal that is in the process of molting, shedding an outer layer such as skin, scales, feathers, hair, or an exoskeleton.
- An animal in the process of molting; especially one that periodically sheds skin, scales, feathers, hair, or an exoskeleton.
"The farmer removed the molter from the enclosure before it could damage the flock."
"A young snake remains vulnerable while it is a molter."
"The naturalist observed a molter beneath the fallen leaves and recorded the date of its emergence."
The regular plural is used when referring to multiple animals undergoing molting.
"The shelter separated the molters from the rest of the flock."
A molter is an animal caught between two forms, shedding its old outer layer as its new one develops.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does molter come from?
Molter is an English agent noun formed by adding the suffix -er to molt, meaning an animal that performs the process of molting. It corresponds to the alternative spelling moult, which is traditional in British English, while molt is standard in North American English.
How molter is actually used
This is a rare noun, used chiefly in zoological, agricultural, and pest-control contexts. It normally refers to the animal undergoing the process rather than to the process itself.
Easily confused with molter
A molter is an animal undergoing molting, whereas a multer is a person who drives or tends mules.