brumation
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of brumation
Coined in 1965 by U.S. biologist Wilbur Waldo Mayhew (1920–2014) in his textbook Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology; from Latin brūma “winter solstice, winter” ( see brume ( def. )) + -tion ( def. )
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.
But as the world warms and the climate in southern Queensland shifts from subtropical to tropical, this period of brumation is shrinking — meaning more run-ins between humans and the animals.
From New York Times ● Mar. 14, 2024
To survive extremely cold temperatures, some reptiles undergo brumation, which is a state of inactivity equivalent to hibernation in mammals.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2024
The cold-blooded animals can’t regulate their own temperature, so when temperatures drop they go into a state called brumation to survive, Howard said.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 23, 2024
In Las Vegas, where the threatened species’ reptilian winter rest is called brumation, the earliest a Mojave Max has emerged since 2000 was a little before noon on Feb. 14, 2005.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 25, 2023
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