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gestation

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ges⋅ta⋅tion

[je-stey-shuhn]
–noun
the process, state, or period of gestating.

Origin:
1525–35; < L gestātiōn- (s. of gestātiō), equiv. to gestāt(us) (see gestate ) + -iōn- -ion


ges⋅ta⋅tion⋅al, ges⋅ta⋅tive [jes-tuh-tiv, je-stey-] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ges·ta·tion   (jě-stā'shən)   
n.  
  1. The period of development in the uterus from conception until birth; pregnancy.

  2. The conception and development of a plan or an idea in the mind.


[Late Latin gestātiō, gestātiōn-, from Latin, a carrying, from gestātus, past participle of gestāre, freqentative of gerere, to carry.]
ges'ta·to'ry (jěs'tə-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē), ges·ta'tion·al adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

gestation 
1533, "riding on horseback, etc., as a form of exercise," from L. gestationem (nom. gestatio) "a carrying," from gestare "bear, carry, gestate," freq. of gerere (pp. gestus) "to bear, carry, bring forth." Meaning "action or process of carrying young in the womb" is from 1615.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ges·ta·tion
Pronunciation: je-'stA-sh&n
Function: noun
1 : the carrying of young in the uterus from conception todelivery : PREGNANCY
2 : GESTATION PERIODges·ta·tion·al /-shn&l, -sh&n-&l/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

gestation ges·ta·tion (jě-stā'shən)
n.
The period of fetal development from conception until birth; pregnancy.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

gestation

in mammals, the time between conception and birth, during which the embryo or fetus is developing in the uterus. This definition raises occasional difficulties because in some species (e.g., monkeys and man) the exact time of conception may not be known. In these cases the beginning of gestation is usually dated from some well-defined point in the reproductive cycle (e.g., the beginning of the previous menstrual period)

Learn more about gestation with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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