1
the moult of sth
名词用法：指换毛或蜕皮的过程，of 后接动物。
The moult of a spider is quick.
蜘蛛的蜕皮很快。
换毛；蜕皮；脱毛
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
换毛；蜕皮；脱毛
to cast off hair, skin, horn, or feathers
The moult of a spider is quick.
蜘蛛的蜕皮很快。
脱落或失去毛、羽、皮、角等覆盖物,并换上新的。
To shed or lose a covering of hair or fur, feathers, skin, horns, etc, and replace it with a fresh one.
以这种方式脱落。
To shed in such a manner.
moult
Base
原形
moults
3rd person
第三人称单数
moulting
-ing
现在分词
moulted
Past
过去式
moulted
Past participle
过去分词
Birds moult once a year.
鸟类每年换一次羽毛。
The snake moulted its skin last week.
那条蛇上周蜕了皮。
The parrot has moulted several feathers this month.
这只鹦鹉这个月已经换了几根羽毛。
规则变化：-ed / -ing；表示动物换毛、蜕皮或换羽。
Many birds moult once a year, usually after the breeding season.
许多鸟类每年换一次毛，通常在繁殖季节之后。
The snake moulted its old skin in a single piece.
这条蛇把旧皮一整片蜕了下来。
Our cat is moulting a lot because the temperature is rising.
我们的猫正在大量掉毛，因为气温在升高。
名词用法：指换毛或蜕皮的过程，of 后接动物。
The moult of a spider is quick.
蜘蛛的蜕皮很快。
动词用法（不及物）：表示动物自然换毛或蜕皮。
Most birds moult once a year.
大多数鸟每年换一次毛。
动词用法（及物）：后接蜕下的皮、毛、角等。
The snake moulted its old skin.
蛇蜕去了旧皮。
动词用法：表示蜕皮后变成新的形态。
The larvae moult into adult insects.
幼虫蜕变成成虫。
Not this
The snake moulted off its skin.
Use this
The snake moulted its skin.
动词 moult 本身已含“脱掉、褪去”的意思，直接接宾语（skin, feathers, hair 等），不能再加介词 off；加 off 是受“蜕掉”“shed off”等表达的影响，属于多余。去掉 off 后句子更地道。
Not this
I found a snake's moult on the path.
Use this
I found a snake's shed skin on the path.
moult 作名词时指“换毛/蜕皮这一过程”，不指“蜕下的皮或毛”。表示蜕下的皮应该用 shed skin（或 cast-off skin）。把 moult 当作脱落物本身是语义误用。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
换羽毛
Most songbirds moult feathers after the breeding season.
大多数鸣禽在繁殖季节过后换羽毛。
蜕皮
A python moults its skin in one complete piece.
蟒蛇整个儿地蜕下一张皮。
年度换羽；年年的换毛
The annual moult lasts about three weeks.
年度换羽持续大约三周。
换成成年羽毛
Young penguins moult into adult plumage after their first year.
小企鹅在第一年之后换成成年羽毛。
Use moult naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
把 moult 记作“毛落”的谐音联想：鸟换毛、蛇蜕皮时，旧毛旧皮纷纷脱落。
语域：neutral 常见场景：动物学、观鸟、宠物护理 通常用于指动物换羽、换毛或蜕皮，在生物学、观鸟、宠物饲养等语境中比较常见；日常一般对话中较少使用，也可以说 shed。
moult rhymes with bolt, colt, jolt, volt, and dolt: all are pronounced with the ending /əʊlt/ (American /oʊlt/). Cult looks similar (also ends in -lt) but is pronounced /kʌlt/, so it does not rhyme.
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.