estivation

[ es-tuh-vey-shuh n ]

/ ˌɛs təˈveɪ ʃən /

noun

Zoology. the act of estivating.

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

Nearby words

estimative, estimator, estipulate, estival, estivate, estivation, estivoautumnal, estlander operation, esto perpetua, estoc, estocada

Origin of estivation

First recorded in 1615–25; estivate + -ion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for estivation

First, it may be remembered that this period corresponds nearly to the active life of the animal before and after estivation.
Birds and Nature Vol. 9 No. 2 [February 1901]|Various
It was clear that nature was in preparation for her estivation.
Of All Things|Robert C. Benchley
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

/ (ˌiːstɪˈveɪʃən, ˌɛs-) /

noun

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

Science definitions for estivation

estivation

[ ĕs′tə-vā′shən ]

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.