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

Example Sentences

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

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

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

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

It was clear that nature was in preparation for her estivation.

From Of All Things by Benchley, Robert C.