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torpor

 - 6 dictionary results

tor⋅por

  [tawr-per]
Use torpor in a Sentence
–noun
1. sluggish inactivity or inertia.
2. lethargic indifference; apathy.
3. a state of suspended physical powers and activities.
4. dormancy, as of a hibernating animal.
Origin:
1600–10; < L: numbness, equiv. to torp(ēre) to be stiff or numb + -or -or 1

Synonyms:
2. stolidity, listlessness, lethargy. 4. sleepiness, slumber, drowsiness.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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tor·por   (tôr'pər)   
n.  

  1. A state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility.

  2. Lethargy; apathy. See Synonyms at lethargy.

  3. The dormant, inactive state of a hibernating or estivating animal.


[Latin, from torpēre, to be stiff; see ster-1 in Indo-European roots.]
tor'po·rif'ic (-pə-rĭf'ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

torpor 
1607, from L. torpor "numbness," from torpere "be numb," from PIE base *ster- "stiff" (cf. O.C.S. trupeti, Lith. tirpstu "to become rigid;" Gk. stereos "solid;" O.E. steorfan "to die;" see sterile).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: tor·por
Pronunciation: 'tor-p&r
Function: noun
: a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility : extreme sluggishness or stagnation of function
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

torpor tor·por (tôr'pər)
n.

  1. A state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility.

  2. Lethargy; apathy.

tor'po·rif'ic (-pə-rĭf'ĭk) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

torpor

a state of lowered body temperature and metabolic activity assumed by many animals in response to adverse environmental conditions, especially cold and heat. The torpid state may last overnight, as in temperate-zone hummingbirds and some insects and reptiles; or it may last for months, in the case of true hibernation and the winter torpor of many cold-blooded vertebrates.

Learn more about torpor with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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