brumation

[ broo-mey-shuhn ]

noun

1. a state of winter dormancy entered into by some cold-blooded animals as part of their normal annual rhythm. Compare hibernation ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of brumation¹

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” ( brume ( def ) ) + -tion ( def )