gestation
Americannoun
noun
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the development of the embryo of a viviparous mammal, between conception and birth: about 266 days in humans, 624 days in elephants, and 63 days in cats
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( as modifier )
gestation period
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the development of an idea or plan in the mind
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the period of such a development
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gestation
1525–35; < Latin gestātiōn- (stem of gestātiō ), equivalent to gestāt ( us ) ( see gestate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Gestation is the period of time when something is conceived and developed. The gestation period for human babies lasts nine months. Gestation comes from the Latin gestare, which means to bear, or give birth to. We can talk about the gestation of fetus before it's born, but we also use gestation to talk about ideas. If you've been vaguely thinking about starting a revolution for the last year, then that idea has been in gestation.
Vocabulary lists containing gestation
Letters to a Young Poet
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Roe v. Wade (1973)
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Educated
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is used to end pregnancies through 10 weeks gestation in combination with the drug misoprostol, which stimulates contractions and softens the cervix, allowing tissue to expel.
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
“So it has been a long gestation period,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
Before the new law went into effect, the state allowed for abortions up to 15 weeks of gestation.
From Salon • May 5, 2026
The company says its product, which works solely with bovine breath samples, has detected gestation with 94% accuracy in lab tests.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
Instead, it is usually preceded by a long gestation period in which all the hard work is done without finding the key to the solution to the problem.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
