mothball (mothballed)
verb (adjective)

- stop using something but keep it in good condition so that it can readily be used again

- cancel or postpone work on (a plan or project)

Oxford English Dictionaries

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ORIGIN

Moth is from the Old English moððe, (cognate with Old Norse motti, Middle Dutch motte, Dutch mot, German Motte), which is perhaps related to Old English maða meaning "maggot" as in larvae.

The verb "to mothball" stems from the noun mothball (small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorant) used when storing clothing and other articles susceptible to damage from moths or moth larvae.

In business, mothballing is the practice of putting functional equipment and facilities into storage so they are no longer being operated, but can be used again in the future. The idea is to keep the equipment and facilities under the ownership and control of the business while retiring them from current operation.

In the navy, a mothballed ship is one that has been put out of service (decommissioned).

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SYNONYMS

store, warehouse, keep in reserve, set aside, decommission (equipment), deactivate, retire, shut down

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Practice OWAD in a conversation:

"Let's MOTHBALL the expansion plan until the new fiscal year comes around."