Tech-heads and PC geeks care to explain this one in simple terms?

I’d google it but Microsoft don’t always hand out the most simplest of descriptions for various functions and this could be one of those times when I doubt I’d get a clear description, so I have deliberately not gone looking for it.
Windows 8 has this “hybrid” shut down option….what the heck is it and why is it any different from just ‘shutting down’ like you would do on it’s predecessors?
I have some clue about computers and Windows but this “hybrid” stuff at the moment is over my head.