estivation

American  

[es-tuh-vey-shuhn] / ˌɛs təˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

1. Zoology. the act of estivating.

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

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estivation British  

/ ˌiːstɪˈveɪʃən, ˌɛs- /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of aestivation

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estivation Scientific  

/ 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.

2. Compare hibernation

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Etymology

Origin of estivation

First recorded in 1615–25; estivate + -ion

Explanation

Estivation is when animals slow their activity for the hot, dry summer months. During a period of estivation, many reptiles go underground where it's cooler. Estivation is very similar to hibernation, when some mammals spend the winter moving very little and sleeping a lot, in order to save energy. During estivation, animals become still and their breathing slows — but it occurs during the hottest months of the year. Reptiles, amphibians, and molluscs are most likely to go through estivation. The Latin root word is aestus, or "heat."

Example Sentences

Predict how the behavior of an animal such as a lizard would change in response to environmental factors that trigger the lizard into entering estivation.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Hibernation enables animals to survive cold conditions, and estivation allows animals to survive the hostile conditions of a hot, dry climate.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

If torpor occurs during the summer months with high temperatures and little water, it is called estivation.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

It's as if Picasso's famous R&D department were on vacation, in some form of estivation.

From New York Times • Apr. 2, 2018

The estivation of two mao tzu. © 26Dec35; A88922.

From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1963 January - June by Library of Congress. Copyright Office