Also spelled hybernated and hybernating
verb
Freq #39829
Meanings
-
1
verb
(Of some animals) to spend the winter in a deep sleep-like state to save energy.
Bears eat as much as they can before they hibernate for the winter.
-
2
verb
(Of a computer) to enter a low-power state that saves your work without fully shutting down.
My laptop hibernates automatically when the battery gets low.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
1
verb
· (of some animals) to spend...
hole up
Word family
Forms
hibernatedhibernateshibernating
Derived forms
nonhibernating
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin hībernātus, perfect passive participle of hībernō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from hībernus (“wintry”).
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