noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌhaɪ.bəːˈneɪ.ʃən/
Received-Pronunciation:[ˌhaɪ.bəːˈneɪ.ʃn̩]
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˌhaɪ.bəɹˈneɪ.ʃən/
General-American:[ˌhaɪ.bɚˈneɪ.ʃn̩]
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:HH AY2 B ER0 N EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in some animals during winter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: sleep
Topics: biology, natural-sciences
Examples
The bears are in hibernation.
The bears come out of hibernation in March.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A hypothetical state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in humans during long space flights.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A standby state which conserves power by writing the contents of the memory to disk and completely power off the computer, in order that one will resume the session from the disk.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: suspension to disk
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the act of retiring into inactivity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he emerged from his hibernation to make his first appearance in several years
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: retirement
5
noun
Meaning 5
cessation from or slowing of activity during the winter; especially slowing of metabolism in some animals
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: dormancy, quiescence, quiescency
6
noun
Meaning 6
the torpid or resting state in which some animals pass the winter
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: torpor, torpidity
History
Etymology
From Latin hībernātus, from hībernō, from hībernus (“wintry, of or pertaining to winter”).
Across languages
Translations
86 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
إِسْبَات
(ʔisbāt)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Armenian:
ձմեռային քուն
(jmeṙayin kʻun)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Belarusian:
спя́чка
(spjáčka)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Belarusian:
зімо́вая спя́чка
(zimóvaja spjáčka)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Bulgarian:
зиму́ване
(zimúvane)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Bulgarian:
зи́мен сън
(zímen sǎn)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Bulgarian:
хиберна́ция
(hibernácija)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Catalan:
hibernació
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Chinese Mandarin:
冬眠
(dōngmián)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Czech:
zimní spánek
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Czech:
hibernace
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Danish:
hi
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Danish:
dvale
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Dutch:
winterslaap
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Dutch:
hibernatie
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Esperanto:
sezona letargo
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Finnish:
talvihorros
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Finnish:
horros
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Finnish:
talviuni
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
French:
hibernation
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
West-Frisian:
wintersliep
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Georgian:
ჰიბერნაცია
(hibernacia)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Georgian:
გამოზამთრება
(gamozamtreba)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Georgian:
ზამთრის ძილში გატარება
(zamtris ʒilši gaṭareba)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Georgian:
ზამთრის ძილქუშში ყოფნა
(zamtris ʒilkušši q̇opna)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Georgian:
ზამთრის ძილი
(zamtris ʒili)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Georgian:
ზამთრის ძილქუში
(zamtris ʒilkuši)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Georgian:
ძილქუში
(ʒilkuši)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
German:
Winterschlaf
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
German:
Hibernation
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Greek:
χειμερία νάρκη
(cheimería nárki)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Hebrew:
תַּרְדֵּמָה
(tardemá)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Hungarian:
téli álom
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Ingrian:
talviuni
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Italian:
ibernazione
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Japanese:
冬眠
(tōmin)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Korean:
겨울잠
(gyeouljam)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Korean:
동면
(dongmyeon)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Macedonian:
хибернација
(hibernacija)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Malay:
hibernasi
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Māori:
moe makariri
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Norwegian Bokmål:
dvale
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Norwegian Nynorsk:
dvale
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Persian:
خواب زمستانی
(xâb-e zemestâni)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Plautdietsch:
Wintaschlop
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Polish:
sen zimowy
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Polish:
hibernacja
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Portuguese:
hibernação
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Romanian:
hibernare
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Russian:
зи́мняя спя́чка
(zímnjaja spjáčka)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Russian:
гиберна́ция
(gibernácija)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Russian:
спя́чка
(spjáčka)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Scottish Gaelic:
cadal-geamhraidh
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Serbo-Croatian:
зимски сан
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Serbo-Croatian:
хиберна́ција
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Serbo-Croatian:
zimski san
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Serbo-Croatian:
hibernácija
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Slovak:
zimný spánok
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Slovak:
hibernácia
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Slovene:
hibernacija
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Slovene:
zimsko spanje
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Spanish:
hibernación
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Spanish:
aletargamiento
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Spanish:
sueño invernal
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Swedish:
vintersömn
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Swedish:
vinterdvala
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Swedish:
dvala
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Swedish:
hibernation
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Turkish:
kış uykusu
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Ukrainian:
спля́чка
(spljáčka)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Ukrainian:
гіберна́ція
(hibernácija)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Ukrainian:
зимо́ва спля́чка
(zymóva spljáčka)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Ukrainian:
зимова́ спля́чка
(zymová spljáčka)
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Volapük:
nifüpaslip
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Welsh:
gaeafgysgu
— (biology) state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression during winter
Esperanto:
letargo
— (biology, space) hypothetical state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in humans
Finnish:
horros
— (biology, space) hypothetical state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in humans
Polish:
hibernacja
— (biology, space) hypothetical state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in humans
Swedish:
hibernation
— (biology, space) hypothetical state of minimum power consumption, inactivity and metabolic depression in humans
Arabic:
إِسْبَات
(ʔisbāt)
— (computing) standby state which conserves power
Esperanto:
letargo
— (computing) standby state which conserves power
Finnish:
horrostila
— (computing) standby state which conserves power
French:
hibernation
— (computing) standby state which conserves power
German:
Ruhezustand
— (computing) standby state which conserves power
Polish:
hibernacja
— (computing) standby state which conserves power
Swedish:
viloläge
— (computing) standby state which conserves power
