suspended animation

American  

noun

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

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suspended animation British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of suspended animation

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

suspended animation

‘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

The crew, who are near the end of a 65-year mission — suspended animation keeps them young and pretty — are transporting an extraterrestrial bestiary back to Earth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2025

This time of year invites us all, believers and atheists alike, to emerge from our own suspended animation or curled-up little balls, like cummings writes at the end of that poem:

From Salon ● Apr. 20, 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

Every spy was equipped with a number of these larvae, which, by feeding them carefully regulated amounts of oil and honey, they could either keep in suspended animation or bring rapidly to adulthood.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman