English Reference

Word

hibernation

Phoneticshi·ber·na·tion

US/ˌhaɪbɝˈneɪʃən/

UK/hˌaɪbənˈeɪʃən/

Definition

n. a long, deep sleep that some animals take during the winter to save energy. In computing, it is a mode where a computer saves its state and turns off to save power.

n. a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in endotherms, characterized by low body temperature and slow breathing. In a computing context, refers to a power-management mode that saves the contents of RAM to disk before shutting down.

Examples

“Bears enter hibernation to survive the cold winter months.”

“The laptop enters hibernation automatically when the battery level drops below five percent to prevent data loss.”

“While true hibernation involves profound physiological changes, some species only enter a lighter state of torpor, allowing them to wake quickly if the ambient temperature rises unexpectedly.”

Examples

simple

“Bears enter hibernation to survive the cold winter months.”

contextual

“The laptop enters hibernation automatically when the battery level drops below five percent to prevent data loss.”

complex

“While true hibernation involves profound physiological changes, some species only enter a lighter state of torpor, allowing them to wake quickly if the ambient temperature rises unexpectedly.”

Usage

Uncountable in its biological sense; often used with the verb 'to enter' or 'to emerge from'.

Real-World Examples

“While hibernating bears snooze in a state called torpor, allowing them to wake up—or be woken up—every now and then, marmots slip into a far deeper form of hibernation.”
Phys.org · 21 Aug 2026
“New research from Virginia Tech scientists in the College of Natural Resources and Environment provides fresh insight into how environmental conditions influence black bear hibernation, with implications for wildlife management in today's environment.”
Phys.org · 21 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Latin hibernātus, from hibernō, from hībernus (“winter”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

hibernateVerbhibernationNoun

Domains

BiologyComputing

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference