hibernate
To spend the winter in a dormant or inactive state of minimal activity, low body temperature, slow breathing and heart rate, and low metabolic rate; to go through a winter sleep.
Example
“Hedgehogs and bears are two of the many mammals that hibernate in winter.”
Other meanings
To live in seclusion.
To enter a standby state which conserves power without losing the contents of memory.
Synonyms
- hole up
Related words
- nonhibernating
Word history
From Latin "hībernātus".
Where this comes from
This definition is adapted from “hibernate” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.