in mothballs

in mothballs

In storage, either literally or figuratively. Mothballs—little balls composed of a pungent chemical used to deter moths—are often kept in closets, attics, and other places where clothes are stored. I'm so glad that I can finally get my summer clothes out and put my winter clothes back in mothballs. That plane is in mothballs while we wait for a new shipment of parts. I did like your idea, Tom, but we have to keep it in mothballs for now while we finish our outstanding projects.
See also: mothball
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

in mothballs

unused but kept in good condition for future use.
See also: mothball
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • bring (something) out of mothballs
  • bring out of mothballs
  • mothball
  • put (something) in mothballs
  • put in mothballs
  • literally
  • lead the pack
  • hold the stage
  • be (flat) on (one's) back
  • in reach
References in periodicals archive
The Ministry of Health has warned that the chemicals in mothballs can be deadly.
New Zealand Bans Mothballs Due to 'Significant Health Risk'; Women Exposed to Solvents Have High Breast Cancer Risk
"Naphthalene, the active ingredient in mothballs, is actually a pesticide," Castelo said.
Ordinance seeks to penalize sale of mothballs
the past isn't something that's kept in mothballs:' says the author of Kit Marlowe and Sheridan, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Romp and roll
Naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene, common active ingredients in mothballs, are among the most common toxic chemicals detected in indoor air.
The monster in the closet: mothballs' link to non-Hodgkin lymphoma
But it has less to celebrate than we have--its past is dusty, its present is largely in mothballs, and its future, though brightening, is still shrouded in mist.
One moment in a lifetime. (Attitudes)
There are no studies of the effects of prolonged exposure of humans to these vapors, but wearing a sweater or sleeping under a blanket that has been stored in mothballs, or spending hours in a room where vapors are in the air, is unpleasant and a risk you don't need to run.
Put your mothballs in mothballs