English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
noun C1 Advanced

hibernation

heye-buh-NAY-shuhn

Hibernation (noun) means a state of greatly reduced activity and metabolism that some animals enter during winter. Example: “The dormouse spends nearly six months a year in hibernation.”

noun
1
A state of greatly reduced activity and metabolism that some animals enter during winter.
"The dormouse spends nearly six months a year in hibernation."
2
A computer power-saving mode that saves the current session to disk before shutting down.
"Hibernation lets you resume exactly where you left off, even after a full power-off."

How to use hibernation

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe state of being dormant through winter, or the equivalent power-saving state on a computer.

Common pairings
go into hibernation a period of hibernation

Word forms

hibernations plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “hibernation” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The dormouse spends nearly six months a year in _____.

Etymology

From Latin "hibernatus," from "hiberno," from "hibernus" ("wintry").

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for hibernation

See all rhymes for hibernation →

Frequently asked questions

What does “hibernation” mean?

The word “hibernation” means a state of greatly reduced activity and metabolism that some animals enter during winter. In plain terms, the state of being dormant through winter, or the equivalent power-saving state on a computer.

How do you pronounce “hibernation”?

“Hibernation” is pronounced heye-buh-NAY-shuhn (/ˌhaɪ.bəɹˈneɪ.ʃən/ in IPA).

How do you use “hibernation” in a sentence?

Here is “hibernation” used in a sentence: “The dormouse spends nearly six months a year in hibernation.”

What part of speech is “hibernation”?

“Hibernation” is a noun.

Where does the word “hibernation” come from?

The word “hibernation” comes from Latin. From Latin "hibernatus," from "hiberno," from "hibernus" ("wintry").

How many meanings does “hibernation” have?

“Hibernation” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a state of greatly reduced activity and metabolism that some animals enter during winter.

Featured in

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial