Definition

Noun: 1. The practice or technique of freezing a human body (or the head alone) shortly after death, with the aim of preserving it in the hope that future scientific advances might allow for revival and restoration to life. This concept is based on the idea that a person declared dead by current medical standards might be considered treatable in the future. The process involves cooling the body to very low temperatures to prevent cellular decay. 2. The field or study associated with this preservation method. It is often viewed as speculative and is not considered a part of established medical science.

Usage

• Cryonics is typically used as an uncountable noun to refer to the general concept or field.
• It is often discussed in contexts involving futurism, speculative science, and medical ethics.
• Example:
• Example:

Examples

Advanced Usage

• In cryonics: Referring to the state of being preserved by this method.
  • He has been in cryonics for over a decade.
• Cryonics facility/institute: A place where bodies are preserved.
  • The body was transported to a cryonics facility in Arizona.

Variants and Related Words

• Cryonic (adjective): Pertaining to cryonics.
  • They followed the cryonic preservation protocol.
• Cryopreservation (noun): A broader scientific term for preserving living cells, tissues, or organs at very low temperatures. Cryonics is a specific, controversial application of cryopreservation to whole human bodies.
• Cryogenics (noun): The branch of physics dealing with the production and effects of very low temperatures. Cryonics is an application that cryogenics, but the terms are not synonymous.

Synonyms

• Biopreservation (in a very broad, futuristic context)
• Suspended animation (a related but often more general science-fiction concept)

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "Bet on cryonics": To pin one's hopes for the future on the speculative success of cryonics.
  • By choosing cryonics, he was essentially betting on future medical miracles.
• "Frozen in time": While not exclusive to cryonics, this phrase can be used metaphorically to describe the aim of the process.
  • The goal of cryonics is to keep the body frozen in time until science can catch up.

Noun

1. the freezing of a seriously ill or recently deceased person to stop tissues from decomposing; the body is preserved until new medical cures are developed that might bring the person back to life
   • cryonics is more science fiction than serious science