hibernate
/ˈhʌɪbəneɪt
/verb [no object]
1(Of an animal or plant) spend the winter in a dormant state: some species hibernate in tree roosts...
- Hedgehogs are active only at night, and some species hibernate in the winter.
- Dwarf lemurs store up fat in their tails and then draw on it while hibernating; in contrast, no monkey or ape hibernates.
- In consequence many species hibernate during the winter, emerging only when the signs of spring promise plenty of food, telling them it is time to eat and breed again.
Synonyms
lie dormant, lie torpid, sleep, winter, overwinter, hole up
1.1(Of a person) remain inactive or indoors for an extended period: the pilots who have been hibernating during the winter months get their gliders out again...
- Its winter, its cold, people are hibernating already.
- So we mostly hibernated away with our ever growing dvd collection, except for new year's when we ventured out in the pouring rain to the That Amazing Thing party in a nice old pub tucked away off Chapel Street.
- I need a cold, dark room where I can hibernate for the next four months in my coat, scarf and thick black tights and sip cups of hot soup.
Derivatives
hibernator
- They are obligate hibernators, emerging above ground from 7-8 months of hibernation in early to mid-April, with males appearing about 1-2 weeks before females.
- Diet selection based on fatty-acid composition has been demonstrated in mammalian hibernators, which tend to prefer foods rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- All 14 species of marmots are true hibernators.
Origin
Early 19th century (earlier (mid 17th century) as hibernation): from Latin hibernare, from hiberna 'winter quarters', from hibernus 'wintry'.