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Glite Dictionary
moulter

moulter

9.6
An animal that regularly sheds feathers, skin, or hair
  • noun
  • Specialized
: muda
  • The snake is a moulter, regularly shedding its skin as it grows.

Examples

  • Many insects are habitual moulters, discarding their exoskeleton several times during development.

  • The parrot is a moulter that sheds its feathers every year.

  • During the spring, the duck becomes a moulter, losing its old feathers to make room for new ones.

  • Many birds are moulters during the spring.

  • The snake is a typical moulter as it sheds its skin to grow.

  • During the spring, many birds are moulters, losing old feathers for new ones.

  • The dog became a moulter, leaving tufts of hair around the house.

Surface Forms

moulter singular
moulters plural

Morphology

moulter = moult (transparent) = moult + er

The agentive '-er' added to the verb 'moult' yields 'moulter' in a straightforward, predictable way.

Etymology

Moulter comes from the verb moult, also spelled molt, which means 'to shed' old feathers, skin, or hair, and the ending -er means 'one who'. So a moulter is an animal that 'sheds' its outer layer regularly.