hibernator
1
6.1
An animal that sleeps deeply during winter to survive the cold
- noun
- /ˈhaɪbərˌneɪtər/
:
hibernador
- Some hibernators like groundhogs will emerge from their burrows only when spring arrives.
- true hibernators
- other hibernators
Examples
-
At the same time, bears and other hibernators lose weight.
Academic text (2007) -
For instance, cold-temperature hibernators, such as bats and ground squirrels, put themselves through rigors that would kill us.
Academic text (2007) -
Bears and other hibernators enter a deep sleep during the winter to conserve energy.
-
As hibernators prepare for winter, they often gain extra fat to help them survive the colder months.
Surface Forms
hibernator singular
hibernators plural
Morphology
Etymology
The word hibernator comes from the root hibern- meaning 'winter', the same root in hibernate and hibernation. So a hibernator is an animal that 'winters' by sleeping or slowing down to survive the cold season.