hibernate
hibernate Lexical Profile
hibernate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To spend the winter in a dormant or inactive state with lowered body temperature and slowed metabolism (of an animal or plant).
"Groundhogs and bats hibernate in burrows or caves to survive the freezing winter months when food is scarce."
To remain indoors, inactive, or secluded for an extended period.
"During the January blizzards, we decided to hibernate in the cabin with a stack of books and hot cocoa."
To enter or place a computer into a power-saving state in which the current session is saved to the hard drive before shutting down.
"Set your laptop to hibernate automatically when the battery drops below ten percent so you do not lose your open documents."
• Rhymes for hibernate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 18th century from Latin hibernatus, the past participle of hibernare ('to pass the winter'), derived from hibernus ('wintry'), which is related to hiems ('winter').