small chemical pellets placed in storage with clothing to prevent moths and other insects from damaging the fabric.
Compound of 'moth' (the insect, from Old English) and 'ball' (sphere). The term emerged in the 19th century when naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene were first used for storage protection.
Mothballs smell terrible to us, but that stinky smell is a defense strategy—mothballs create toxic fumes that kill insect larvae. That nostalgic mothball smell in grandma's closet is literally chemical warfare!
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