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

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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 while computers provided a virtual reality that replaced real life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

Even where trees don't drop their leaves and the earth doesn't sleep under a blanket of snow, subtle changes may indicate a slowing, a retreat, a sense of suspended animation.

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

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

In the months to come, because one did have to keep on walking, one desperately wanted to believe nothing had changed during those years of suspended animation.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

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