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Glite Dictionary
hibernating

hibernating

4.1
Sleeping through the winter to save energy
  • adjective
  • /ˈhaɪbərˌneɪtɪŋ/
translation icon : hibernante
  • The bear is hibernating in its den until spring arrives.

Examples

  • And so those animals are hibernating right now.

  • So maybe all of the radiatively resistant hibernating animals came from space.

  • Now, the three hibernating crew members represent the survey team.

    2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

  • Many animals, like squirrels and hedgehogs, are hibernating during the cold winter months.

  • The research focused on the hibernating species that survive extreme temperatures.

Synonyms

dormant
vshibernating
17 4.0

Not active now but alive and able to become active again, for example a volcano or seed

is a seasonal biological rest mainly during winter rather than general inactivity
in stasis
vshibernating
12 8.1

Not moving or changing for a time

is a winter biological rest rather than a general state of suspension
suspended animation
vshibernating
11 7.7

A temporary stop of heart and breathing that makes a person look dead but can be brought back

is a natural seasonal rest with reduced activity rather than full stopping of functions

Antonyms

active
664 1.0

Operating now and not stopped

How Inactive

hibernating
4.1
torpid
1 8.2
dormant
34 5.2
sleeping
353 1.0

Surface Forms

hibernating positive

Morphology

hibernating = hibernate (transparent) = hibernate + ing

Formed from the verb 'hibernate' with the productive participial suffix '-ing', indicating the state of undergoing hibernation.

Etymology

Hibernating comes from the Latin word hibernare, which means 'to pass the winter'. So, animals that are hibernating slow down and rest through the cold months, almost like a long winter sleep.