estivate

[ es-tuh-veyt ]

verb (used without object),es·ti·vat·ed, es·ti·vat·ing.

to spend the summer, as at a specific place or in a certain activity.
Zoology. to spend a hot, dry season in an inactive, dormant state, as certain reptiles, snails, insects, and small mammals.: Compare hibernate (def. 1).

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 -ate¹

Other words from estivate

es·ti·va·tor, noun

Words Nearby estivate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for estivate

estivate

/ (ˈiːstɪˌveɪt, ˈɛs-) /

verb

(intr) the usual US spelling of aestivate

Derived forms of estivate

estivator, noun

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

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