suspended animation
"Suspended animation" is a state where an organism's vital functions are temporarily halted or slowed, often used in medical and scientific contexts.
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Definition
C1Medicine
(technical)A temporary state where breathing, heartbeat, and other vital functions are paused or slowed to preserve life.
Example
- Doctors induced suspended animation to perform the complex surgery.
C1Science Fiction
(fiction)A deliberate slowing of the body's functions, often for long space journeys.
Example
- The crew was put into suspended animation for the duration of the interstellar voyage.
C1Biology
(technical)A natural state where an organism's metabolic processes are significantly reduced, such as in hibernation.
Example
- Bears enter a state of suspended animation during hibernation to survive winter.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "suspended animation":