释义 |
hi·ber·nate \ˈhībə(r)ˌnāt, usu -ād.+V\ intransitive verb (-ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: Latin hibernatus, past participle of hibernare, from hibernus of winter, wintry; akin to Latin hiems winter, Greek cheimōn, Old Slavic zima, Sanskrit himā 1. a. : to pass the winter in a torpid or lethargic state; specifically : to pass the winter in a torpid condition in which the body temperature drops to a little above freezing and metabolic activity is reduced nearly to zero — used especially of various mammals; compare aestivate b. : to pass the winter in a resting state — used especially of the spores and winter buds of various plants 2. a. : to pass the winter especially in a milder climate < six million farmers lived close enough to Florida to hibernate there easily — Alva Johnston > b. : to be or become inactive or dormant < a few mots survive, to hibernate in the mind, and come out again on an early summer day — Osbert Sitwell > |