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Definition of hibernate verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hibernate

verb
 
/ˈhaɪbəneɪt/
 
/ˈhaɪbərneɪt/
[intransitive]
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they hibernate
 
/ˈhaɪbəneɪt/
 
/ˈhaɪbərneɪt/
he / she / it hibernates
 
/ˈhaɪbəneɪts/
 
/ˈhaɪbərneɪts/
past simple hibernated
 
/ˈhaɪbəneɪtɪd/
 
/ˈhaɪbərneɪtɪd/
past participle hibernated
 
/ˈhaɪbəneɪtɪd/
 
/ˈhaɪbərneɪtɪd/
-ing form hibernating
 
/ˈhaɪbəneɪtɪŋ/
 
/ˈhaɪbərneɪtɪŋ/
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  1. (of animals) to spend the winter in a state like deep sleep
    Collocations The living worldThe living worldAnimals
    • animals mate/​breed/​reproduce/​feed (on something)
    • fish/​amphibians swim/​spawn (= lay eggs)
    • birds fly/​migrate/​nest/​sing
    • insects crawl/​fly/​bite/​sting
    • insects/​bees/​locusts swarm
    • bees collect/​gather nectar/​pollen
    • spiders spin/​weave a web
    • snakes/​lizards shed their skins
    • bears/​hedgehogs/​frogs hibernate
    • insect larvae grow/​develop/​pupate
    • an egg/​a chick/​a larva hatches
    • attract/​find/​choose a mate
    • produce/​release eggs/​sperm
    • lay/​fertilize/​incubate/​hatch eggs
    • inhabit a forest/​a reef/​the coast
    • mark/​enter/​defend (a) territory
    • stalk/​hunt/​capture/​catch/​kill prey
    Plants and fungi
    • trees/​plants grow/​bloom/​blossom/​flower
    • a seed germinates/​sprouts
    • leaves/​buds/​roots/​shoots appear/​develop/​form
    • flower buds swell/​open
    • a fungus grows/​spreads/​colonizes something
    • pollinate/​fertilize a flower/​plant
    • produce/​release/​spread/​disperse pollen/​seeds/​spores
    • produce/​bear fruit
    • develop/​grow/​form roots/​shoots/​leaves
    • provide/​supply/​absorb/​extract/​release nutrients
    • perform/​increase/​reduce photosynthesis
    Bacteria and viruses
    • bacteria/​microbes/​viruses grow/​spread/​multiply
    • bacteria/​microbes live/​thrive in/​on something
    • bacteria/​microbes/​viruses evolve/​colonize something/​cause disease
    • bacteria break something down/​convert something (into something)
    • a virus enters/​invades something/​the body
    • a virus mutates/​evolves/​replicates (itself)
    • be infected with/​contaminated with/​exposed to a new strain of a virus/​drug-resistant bacteria
    • contain/​carry/​harbour bacteria/​a virus
    • kill/​destroy/​eliminate harmful/​deadly bacteria
    Topics Animalsc2
    Word Originearly 19th cent. (earlier (mid 17th cent.) as hibernation): from Latin hibernare, from hiberna ‘winter quarters’, from hibernus ‘wintry’.
See hibernate in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
halfway
adverb
 
 
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