hypothermia

[ hahy-puh-thur-mee-uh ]

/ ˌhaɪ pəˈθɜr mi ə /

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noun

Pathology. subnormal body temperature.

Medicine/Medical. the artificial reduction of body temperature to slow metabolic processes, as for facilitating heart surgery.

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Origin of hypothermia

First recorded in 1885–90; hypo- + therm- + -ia

OTHER WORDS FROM hypothermia

hy·po·ther·mic, adjective

Words nearby hypothermia

hypothecation, hypothecium, hypothenar, hypothenuse, hypothermal, hypothermia, hypothesis, hypothesis testing, hypothesize, hypothetical, hypothetical imperative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hypothermia in a sentence

Mylar blankets help hikers ward off hypothermia in two ways.
How (and When) Hikers Should Use Space Blankets|syadron|July 28, 2021|Outside Online
Exposed to the elements on the roof, Pätz was trying to keep hypothermia at bay.
On one street in Germany’s floods: Terror, survival, tragedy and the house that floated away|Loveday Morris, Júlia Ledur|July 23, 2021|Washington Post
Other causes of death on the AT have included drowning, heart attacks, hypothermia, lightning strikes, falling trees, and getting lost.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail: A Beginner’s Guide|Karen Berger|June 28, 2021|Outside Online
The remaining 27 percent are the most interesting ones, attributed to non-trauma causes like altitude illness and hypothermia.
Why Do Climbers Really Die on Everest?|Alex Hutchinson|May 19, 2021|Outside Online

We had people dying of hypothermia in the energy capital of the world.
The fight over who will pay for Texas blackouts gears up|Will Englund|April 14, 2021|Washington Post
Last week, 18 people making the same trip died of hypothermia on the way.
Inside the Smuggling Networks Flooding Europe with Refugees|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One prisoner, who was left naked and shackled to a cold floor, died of suspected hypothermia.
What the Torture Report Kept Hidden|Shane Harris, Tim Mak|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In November 2002, a detainee who had been held partially nude and chained to the floor died, apparently from hypothermia.
The Most Gruesome Moments in the CIA ‘Torture Report’|Shane Harris, Tim Mak|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rahman was later found dead, with hypothermia the suspected cause.
Inside the CIA’s Sadistic Dungeon|Tim Mak|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The hospital found hypothermia, respiratory problems and assumed a head injury.
'We Were Liars': Teens Confront Their Beautiful, Rich Family's Dark Secrets|Samantha Levine|August 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for hypothermia

hypothermia

/ (ˌhaɪpəʊˈθɜːmɪə) /

noun

pathol an abnormally low body temperature, as induced in the elderly by exposure to cold weather

med the intentional reduction of normal body temperature, as by ice packs, to reduce the patient's metabolic rate: performed esp in heart and brain surgery

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

Scientific definitions for hypothermia

hypothermia

[ hī′pə-thûr′mē-ə ]

An abnormally low body temperature, often caused by prolonged exposure to cold. Compare hyperthermia.