hibernate
verb
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Definition of hibernate
1 : to pass the winter in a torpid or resting state bears hibernating in their dens
2 : to be or become inactive or dormant let the computer hibernate
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Other words from hibernate
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noun
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noun
Examples of hibernate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In some cases, bears are not hibernating at all, staying awake all winter. — New York Times, "As Winter Warms, Bears Can’t Sleep. And They’re Getting Into Trouble.," 4 May 2018 In some cases, bears are not hibernating at all, staying awake all winter. — Anchorage Daily News, "As winter warms, bears can’t sleep. And they’re getting into trouble.," 5 May 2018 They'd been kept cool enough to hibernate until her performance but hadn't warmed up enough to wake up and fly away when the moment came. — Jayme Deerwester, USA TODAY, "And the winner of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' is ... not Asia after her failed butterfly stunt," 29 June 2018 Organs essentially hibernate, not frozen but cold enough to slow cellular activity and thus their deterioration. — Washington Post, "Warming, not cooling, donated livers may improve transplants," 18 Apr. 2018 Groundhog Day Chili Cookoff: Don’t hibernate this winter! — Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Weekend guide: Free Milwaukee County Zoo day, LEGO competition and Groundhog Day events," 31 Jan. 2018 Scientists calculate crab population estimates each year by surveying across the bay over the winter, scooping up mud and counting the crabs hibernating within it. — Scott Dance, baltimoresun.com, "Cold weather killed off a third of adult Chesapeake crabs this winter, but juvenile crab population surges in 2018," 9 May 2018 Prior to the ice park’s official opening in 1997, the historic mining town, population 1,000, hibernated through winter. — Hayden Carpenter, Outside Online, "On Thin Ice in Ouray," 24 Apr. 2018 This is one of seven species of bats found in Lake County and the only one that hibernates here. — Sheryl Devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Five cool bat facts," 23 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hibernate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
What to Call That Weird Thing Your Pet...
What to Call That Weird Thing Your Pet Does
Besides 'cute' or 'annoying'
Dictionary Entries near hibernate
Statistics for hibernate
Last Updated
18 Aug 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for hibernate
The first known use of hibernate was in 1816
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More Definitions for hibernate
hibernate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of hibernate
of an animal : to spend the winter sleeping or resting
See the full definition for hibernate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
hibernate
verb
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Kids Definition of hibernate
: to pass all or part of the winter in an inactive state in which the body temperature drops and breathing slows
hibernate
intransitive verb
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Medical Definition of hibernate
: to pass the winter in a torpid or resting state especially : to pass the winter in a torpid condition in which the body temperature drops to a little above freezing and metabolic activity is reduced nearly to zero — compare estivate
Other words from hibernate
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noun
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