different between naphthalene vs mothball

English

Etymology

From naphtha +? -ene

Noun

naphthalene (usually uncountable, plural naphthalenes)

1. A white crystalline hydrocarbon manufactured from coal tar; used in mothballs.
2. (organic chemistry) An aromatic bicyclic hydrocarbon, C₁₀H₈; an acene containing two fused benzene rings.

Hypernyms

(2-ring aromatic hydrocarbon):

• acene

Coordinate terms

(2-ring aromatic hydrocarbon):

• benzene (1-ring acene)
• anthracene (3-ring acene)

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• naphthalene on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Alternative forms

• moth ball
• moth-ball

Etymology

moth +? ball

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /m??b??l/

Noun

mothball (plural mothballs)

1. (usually in the plural) A small ball of chemical pesticide (typically naphthalene) and deodorant placed in or around clothing and other articles susceptible to damage from mold or moth larvae in order to protect them from this damage.

Derived terms

• in mothballs (“kept in good condition for later use”)
• mothbally

Translations

Verb

mothball (third-person singular simple present mothballs, present participle mothballing, simple past and past participle mothballed)

1. (transitive) To store or shelve something no longer used.

   Synonyms: store, shelve, set aside, defer

2. (transitive, figuratively) To stop using (something), but keep it in good condition.
   • 2014, A teacher, "Choosing a primary school: a teacher's guide for parents", The Guardian, 23 September 2014:

     Some schools might have an art studio, an area of forestry in the playground, or a performance stage in the hall – all exceptional assets. Just check they get plenty of use and aren't mothballed while the school concentrates on (you guessed it) maths and literacy.

Antonyms

• demothball
• unmothball

Derived terms

• mothballed
• mothballer

Translations

Further reading

• mothball on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “mothball”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.