A vocabulary of landscape — a landscape of words
1068 entries
torpor
A short-term state of reduced metabolic activity and body temperature, entered by some animals to conserve energy. Hummingbirds enter torpor nightly, dropping their body temperature by as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike hibernation, which lasts weeks or months, torpor is measured in hours.
Etymology
Latin torpor, numbness, sluggishness, from torpere, to be stiff or numb.