Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Zoology A state of dormancy or torpor during a hot dry period.
  • noun Botany The arrangement of the floral parts in a bud.
  • noun The act of spending or passing the summer.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of passing the summer.
  • noun Specifically In zoology, the summer sleep of certain animals, as mollusks; the act of falling into a more or less permanent condition of sleep or dormant state in summer.
  • noun In botany, prefloration; the disposition of the parts of a flower in the bud.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Alternative spelling of aestivation.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (zoology) cessation or slowing of activity during the summer; especially slowing of metabolism in some animals during a hot or dry period
  • noun (botany) the arrangement of sepals and petals in a flower bud before it opens

Etymologies

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Examples

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  • The summer sleep of mollusks (among other things).

    August 11, 2010

  • *Rubs eyes*

    August 11, 2010