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Showing results for suspended animation. Search instead for Types+of+Animation.
Synonyms

suspended animation

American  

noun

  1. a state of temporary cessation of the vital functions.


suspended animation British  

noun

  1. a temporary cessation of the vital functions, as by freezing an organism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of suspended animation

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

‘The Matrix films were based on the idea that machine-addicted humans would put their bodies in suspended animation.’

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Going to sleep in the cryochamber – with its pods radiating outward like the petals of a suspended animation daisy – was their second mistake.

From Salon • Jul. 17, 2025

The new study, published in the journal Protein Science, examines the mechanisms used by tardigrades to enter and exit from suspended animation when faced by environmental stress.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2024

In a pose reminiscent of the fight scenes from “The Matrix” franchise, Björk appears in suspended animation, her back arched, head frozen above the faucet, arms dangling at her sides.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2024

It allows you to exist in a state of suspended animation.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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