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.
Body temperature is a measure of your body's ability to make and get rid of heat. The body is very good at keeping its temperature within a safe range, even when temperatures outside the body change a lot.1  When you are too hot, the blood vessels in your skin widen to carry the excess heat to your skin's surface.his is an average of normal body temperatures. Your normal temperature may actually be 1Â°F (0.6Â°C) or more above or below this. Also, your normal temperature changes by as much as 1Â°F (0.6Â°C) during the day, depending on how active you are and the time of day.