Dictionary

hibernate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• [ˈhɑɪbəˌnɛɪt] (Southern-England)
• [ˈhəɪbɚˌne(ɪ)t] (Ontario)
• [ˈhäɪbɚˌneɪt] (General-American)
• /ˈhaɪbə(r)ˌneɪt/ (UK)
• /ˈhʌɪbərˌneɪt/ Canada, idle-idol split
• /ˈhaɪbəɹˌneɪt/ (General-American)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin hībernātus, perfect passive participle of hībernō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from hībernus (“wintry”).

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To spend the winter in a dormant or inactive state of minimal activity, low body temperature, slow breathing and heart rate, and low metabolic rate; to go through a winter sleep.
   • Organisms have developed all sorts of ways of dealing with these variations. They hibernate or estivate or migrate. 2014, Elizabeth Kolbert, chapter 8, in The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, Henry Holt and Company:
   • Hedgehogs and bears are two of the many mammals that hibernate in winter.
2. (intransitive) To live in seclusion.
3. (intransitive) To enter a standby state which conserves power without losing the contents of memory.
   • Your computer hibernates after it has been idle for the specified amount of time. 2001, Microsoft Corp, Use Hibernate and Standby to Conserve Batteries:

Forms

Coordinates

estivate · brumate

Deriveds

nonhibernating

Relateds

hibernaculum · hibernator · overwinter · oversummer · hibernation · hibernal · hibernacle

Translations (53)

bg зиму́вам (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · fi horrostaa (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · be зімава́ць (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ka გამოიზამთრებს (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ro hiberna (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · tl i-hibernate (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ia hibernar (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ja 冬眠する (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · mi moe-hōtoke (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · be перазімава́ць (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · pl hibernować (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · fr hiverner (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ru зимова́ть (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · fa خواب زمستانی (computer: enter a standby state) · de Winterschlaf halten (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · pt hibernar (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · es hibernar (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · vi ngủ đông (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ovd yvyrwitter (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · it ibernare (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ar أَسْبَتَ (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · nl een winterslaap houden (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · fi nukkua talviunta (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ca hibernar (computer: enter a standby state) · th จำศีล (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · tl mag-hibernate (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · fr hiberner (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ru перезимова́ть (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · sv övervintra (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · tr kış uykusuna yatmak (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · de Ruhezustand einnehmen (computer: enter a standby state) · id hibernasi (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · cy gaeafgysgu (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · grc φωλέω (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · de überwintern (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · cmn 冬眠 (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · de zurückgezogen leben (live in seclusion) · nb gå i dvale (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · de in den Ruhezustand wechseln (computer: enter a standby state) · mi moe-hōtoke (computer: enter a standby state) · cmn 休眠 (computer: enter a standby state) · hy ձմեռային քուն մտնել (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · uk перезимува́ти (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · cs přezimovat (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · es hibernizar (DPD) (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · nl overwinteren (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · sk prezimovať (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · uk зимува́ти (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · gl hibernar (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · fi mennä horrostilaan (computer: enter a standby state) · ca hibernar (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ka ზამთარს ძილში ატარებს (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state) · ka ზამთრის ძილს მიეცემა (spend winter time in a dormant or inactive state)