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hibernate

Syllabification: (hi·ber·nate)
Pronunciation: /ˈhībərˌnāt/
Translate hibernate | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of hibernate

verb

[no object]
  • (of an animal or plant) spend the winter in a dormant state.
  • (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

Derivatives

hibernation

Pronunciation: /ˌhībərˈnāSHən/
noun

hibernator

Pronunciation: /-ˌnātər/
noun

Origin:

early 19th century: from Latin hibernare, from hiberna 'winter quarters', from hibernus 'wintry'

hibernate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of hibernate in the British & World English dictionary

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