moltings
Periodic exoskeleton discards
Moltings is the plural of molting—the process by which animals shed old feathers, skin, shells, or other outer coverings to make way for new growth.
Birds undergo seasonal moltings, snakes slip out of old skin, crabs abandon outgrown shells.
The word can apply figuratively to any periodic shedding or renewal: The company's moltings over the decades left it unrecognizable.
Discarding dead outer layers
- peelingComing off in strips
- flakingShedding in layers
- castoffDiscarded item or person
- skinBody's outer layer
scales · feathers · fur · carapace · chitin · shell · husk · keratin
Arthropod developmental stage
- larvalOf early insect stages
- pupalOf metamorphic dormancy
- nymphNature spirit or larva
- chrysalisPupal casing for metamorphosis
metamorphosis · pupation · juvenile · adult · life stage · developmental · maturation · fledging
Progress toward maturity
- maturationProcess of becoming complete
- renewalMaking current again
- regenerationBiological self-repair process
- expansionIncrease in scope
enlargement · elongation · budding · proliferation · adaptation · transformation · change · evolution
sloughing
Discarding dead outer layers
skin · scales · feathers · fur · carapace · chitin · shell · husk · keratin · cuticle
instar
Arthropod developmental stage
chrysalis · metamorphosis · pupation · juvenile · adult · life stage · developmental · maturation · fledging · seasonal
development
Progress toward maturity
- maturationProcess of becoming complete
- renewalMaking current again
- regenerationBiological self-repair process
expansion · enlargement · elongation · budding · proliferation · adaptation · transformation · change · evolution · modification
moltingspermanence
Quality of lasting indefinitely
stasis · fixity · unchangingness · stability · constancy