estivation

[ es-tuh-vey-shuhn ]

noun
  1. Zoology. the act of estivating.

  2. Botany. the arrangement of the parts of a flower in the bud.

Origin of estivation

1
First recorded in 1615–25; estivate + -ion

Words Nearby estivation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use estivation in a sentence

  • The dry season here is not excessive, nor is there any estivation, as in some tropical countries.

    The Western World | W.H.G. Kingston
  • It was clear that nature was in preparation for her estivation.

    Of All Things | Robert C. Benchley
  • First, it may be remembered that this period corresponds nearly to the active life of the animal before and after estivation.

British Dictionary definitions for estivation

estivation

/ (ˌiːstɪˈveɪʃən, ˌɛs-) /


noun
  1. the usual US spelling of aestivation

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for estivation

estivation

[ ĕs′tə-vāshən ]


  1. An inactive state resembling deep sleep, in which some animals living in hot climates, such as certain snails, pass the summer. Estivation protects these animals against heat and dryness. Compare hibernation.

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