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estivation

[es-tuh-vey-shuh n]
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noun
  1. Zoology. the act of estivating.
  2. Botany. the arrangement of the parts of a flower in the bud.
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Origin of estivation

First recorded in 1615–25; estivate + -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for estivation

Historical Examples

  • 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.

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

    The Western World

    W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for estivation

estivation

noun
  1. the usual US spelling of aestivation
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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
estivation in Science

estivation

[ĕs′tə-vā′shən]
  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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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.