aestivation meaning

UK US

aestivation (noun): (zoology) cessation or slowing of activity during the summer; especially slowing of metabolism in some animals during a hot or dry period.

Spelling: aestivation (British) · estivation (American)

aestivation has 2 meanings in this dictionary.

aestivation as a noun

  1. (zoology) cessation or slowing of activity during the summer; especially slowing of metabolism in some animals during a hot or dry period

    Synonyms: estivation

    Type of: dormancy

    Related forms: aestivate

  2. (botany) the arrangement of sepals and petals in a flower bud before it opens

    Synonyms: estivation

    Type of: arrangement

Scrabble score: 14 (letter breakdown)

Word lists: words starting with AE · words ending in ON · 11-letter words

More about aestivation on Wikipedia.