torpor

UK/ˈtɔːpə(ɹ)/US/ˈtɔɹpɚ/

nounC2Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #14,589 of 15,258leans written

Torpor is a state of heavy inactivity. Afternoon torpor, sunk in torpor, shake off the torpor.

In animals it is a real physical state with the heart rate dropped right down. In people it usually means heat, a large lunch or an office in the middle of August.

Definitions of torpor

1nountorporA state of heavy inactivity.C2
“A torpor came over the whole room after two o'clock.”

torpor is a state.

Where it comes from

Latin torpor, numbness, from torpere, to be stiff or numb; the same root gives torpedo, named for a ray that numbs what it touches.

Latin
torpor — numbness
English, today
torpor

Built from

torpeō · Latin — to be numb

From Latin torpor (“numbness”), from torpeō (“to be numb”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

torpor in the wild

Many experts believe that the processes of daily torpor and hibernation form a continuum and use similar mechanisms.
Hibernation
The word comes from the early 13th century, originating from the Latin, torpor, to be numb or sluggish.
Torpor
Daily torpor, on the other hand, is not seasonally dependent and can be an important part of energy conservation at any time of year.
Torpor
Sloth-and-torpor: half-hearted action with little or no effort or concentration.
Five hindrances
The kultarr has a range of adaptations to help cope with Australia's harsh arid environment including torpor similar to hibernation that helps conserve energy.
Kultarr

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

From Project Gutenberg, public domain. These sentences are from real books, shown to illustrate the word at work.

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