noun
apparent death; suspended animation
Medical and biological term for a state resembling death, where vital signs are extremely weak or temporarily ceased, but recovery is possible. Also used for organisms in a dormant, lifelike state.
クマムシは乾燥すると仮死状態になる。
Tardigrades enter a state of suspended animation when they dry out.
事故現場で仮死状態の男性が発見された。
A man in a state of apparent death was found at the accident site.
Compound of 仮 (temporary, provisional) and 死 (death), literally 'temporary death'. The term is a direct conceptual borrowing, likely calqued from Western medical terminology in the modern era.