hypothermia

[ hahy-puh-thur-mee-uh ]

noun

1. Pathology. subnormal body temperature.
2. Medicine/Medical. the artificial reduction of body temperature to slow metabolic processes, as for facilitating heart surgery.

hypothermia

/ ˌhaɪpəʊˈθɜːmɪə /

noun

1. pathol an abnormally low body temperature, as induced in the elderly by exposure to cold weather
2. med the intentional reduction of normal body temperature, as by ice packs, to reduce the patient's metabolic rate: performed esp in heart and brain surgery

hypothermia

/ hī′pə-thûr′mē-ə /

1. An abnormally low body temperature, often caused by prolonged exposure to cold.
2. Compare hyperthermia

Other Words From

• hypo·thermic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hypothermia¹

First recorded in 1885–90; hypo- + therm- + -ia

Example Sentences

They both managed to swim to the shore, but he died of hypothermia.

From BBC

The 71-year-old - who has not been named - had been taken to hospital after the rescue, and was "suffering from hypothermia", according to the president of the Andalusian government, in southern Spain.

From BBC

In Valencia, a man called Juliano Sánchez was rescued with symptoms of hypothermia after clinging on to palm trees for seven hours.

From BBC

“That was the best place in the world - it was magical,” says Hall-Smith, who had to spend half an hour in a hot shower at 4am to stave off hypothermia.

From BBC

“Exposure” in these cases likely means dehydration, hyperthermia or hypothermia, or some other death due to lack of protection from environmental elements.

From Salon