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estivate

American  
[es-tuh-vayt] / ˈɛs təˌveɪt /

verb (used without object)

estivated, estivating
  1. to spend the summer, as at a specific place or in a certain activity.

  2. Zoology. to spend a hot, dry season in an inactive, dormant state, as certain reptiles, snails, insects, and small mammals.


estivate British  
/ ˈiːstɪˌveɪt, ˈɛs- /

verb

  1. (intr) the usual US spelling of aestivate

"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

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of estivate

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin aestīvātus, past participle of aestīvāre “to reside during the summer” (akin to aestīvus “of or relating to summer”); see -ate 1


Vocabulary lists containing estivate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Animals that hibernate or estivate enter a state known as torpor: a condition in which their metabolic rate is significantly lowered.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

Some animals hibernate or estivate to survive hostile temperatures.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

The breathing and heart rate would increase as it begins estivating.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

The breathing and heart rate would slow as it begins estivating.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

Its breathing and heart rate would slow as it begins estivating.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

But with the decline of musicomedy and the growth of the straw-hat theatre, producers took to estivating.

From Time Magazine Archive

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