Hibernál

Hibernál is a Hungarian verb meaning to hibernate, i.e., to enter a state of dormancy with a significantly reduced metabolic rate during winter. It is used primarily to describe animals that slow their bodily functions to survive cold conditions, and it can also appear in broader, figurative language to denote extended inactivity.

In usage, hibernál is treated as a standard Hungarian verb with the regular subject-verb agreement and tense formation common to -álni verbs. The noun form of the concept is hibernálás, referring to the process itself, while hibernáló can describe a creature or organism that hibernál.

The term is a loanword adopted into modern Hungarian scientific and everyday vocabulary, generally derived from the English "hibernate" with Hungarian orthographic adaptation. Its introduction helped distinguish the biological process of true hibernation from other forms of reduced activity, such as torpor or diapause, which may occur on different timescales or physiological mechanisms.

Examples of usage include both scientific and common contexts. For instance, "A medvék télen hibernálnak" illustrates a typical zoological statement about animal behavior. In everyday language, "hibernálás" may be used to describe a prolonged period of rest or dormancy in a non-lliteral sense, though the term is most precise when referring to biological hibernation.