hibernation
UK /ˌhaɪ.bəːˈneɪ.ʃən/ · US /ˌhaɪ.bəɹˈneɪ.ʃən/ noun
Forms hibernations hybernation
- noun (biology, sleep) A state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in some animals during winter. “The bears are in hibernation.”
- noun (biology, sleep, space science) A hypothetical state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in humans during long space flights.
- noun (computing) A standby state which conserves power by writing the contents of the memory to disk and completely power off the computer, in order that one will resume the session from the disk.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin hībernātus, from hībernō, from hībernus (“wintry, of or pertaining to winter”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act or state of hibernating. Evelyn.
Etymology [Cf. F. hibernation.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “hibernation”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details