molting

CIDE DICTIONARY

molting, n. 

 The act or process by which an animal molts; especially, the periodic shedding of the cuticle in arthropods or the outer skin in reptiles, or feathers in birds.  [WordNet 1.5]

ROGET THESAURUS

molting

Divestment

N divestment, taking off, nudity, bareness, undress, dishabille, the altogether, nudation, denudation, decortication, depilation, excoriation, desquamation, molting, exfoliation, trichosis, divested, bare, naked, nude, undressed, undraped, denuded, exposed, in dishabille, bald, threadbare, ragged, callow, roofless, in a state of nature, in nature's garb, in the buff, in native buff, in birthday suit, in puris naturalibus, with nothing on, stark naked, stark raving naked, bald as a coot, bare as the back of one's hand, out at elbows, barefoot, bareback, barebacked, leafless, napless, hairless.