mothball
UK[ˈmɒθbɔːl]US[ˈmɔːθbɔːl]
n
a small ball made of a strong-smelling chemical, used for keeping moths away from clothes in storage.
v
to stop using or developing something, but keep it so it could be used or developed again in the future.
Morpheme Breakdown
moth
ball
moth
ball
Etymology
the word 'mothball' is a transparent compound formed from two old english roots. 'moth' derives from proto-germanic 'mathô', referring to the insect whose larvae are destructive to fabrics. 'ball' comes from old norse 'bǫllr', meaning a rounded object. the compound first appeared in the early 19th century, naming a small, spherical pellet of camphor or naphthalene designed to repel clothes moths. the literal, concrete object gave rise to the modern figurative verb sense in the mid-20th century, where to 'mothball' a project or facility implies putting it into protective storage, akin to preserving a garment, with the intention of potential future reactivation.
Analysis
Structure: moth + ball
moth (old english, the insect); ball (old english, a spherical object).
Examples
she placed mothballs in the trunk with her winter woolens.
the old battleship was mothballed after the war.
the company decided to mothball its plans for expansion due to the economic downturn.