Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition: Commonly used in medicine, the word decubitus is used to mean lying down. It is derived from the Latin verb âdecumbereâ meaning to lie down.
The brain regulates metabolism and manages other functions to keep your body temperature within a normal range. But the brain can only do so much, and a host of outside factors can affect your body temperature. Controlling and managing these outside factors is key to maintaining a normal body temperature.
Most people think of a normal body temperature as an oral temperature of 98.6Â°F (37Â°C). This is an average of normal body temperatures. Your temperature may actually be 1Â°F (0.6Â°C) or more above or below 98.6Â°F (37Â°C). Also, your normal body temperature changes by as much as 1Â°F (0.6Â°C) throughout the day, depending on how active you are and the time of day. Body temperature is very sensitive to hormone levels and may be higher or lower when a woman is ovulating or having her menstrual period.