estivation

IPA/ˌiː.stɪˈveɪ.ʃən/
IPA/ˌes.təˈveɪ.ʃən/

estivation — noun

1. the US way of writing the word 'aestivation'; the same meaning as aestivation bu

1.名詞C1
釋義

the US way of writing the word 'aestivation'; the same meaning as aestivation but spelled without the initial letter 'a'

例句

In American scientific journals, the term 'estivation' is used instead of 'aestivation'.

American spelling variant of aestivation

Nora checked the spelling guide and found that estivation is the preferred US form.

同義詞
  • aestivation

    British and international spelling of the same word

文法句型

the estivation of [something]

enter estivation

用法筆記

In British and international English, the spelling 'aestivation' (with initial 'ae-') is more common. Choose 'estivation' for American publications.

常見錯誤

❌The frog goes into aestivation in summer' (correct but avoid in US academic writing).
✅The frog goes into estivation in summer.
💡'Estivation' without the 'a' is the standard US spelling.

2. a condition of slowed body activity that some animals go into during very hot, d

2.名詞C1
釋義

a condition of slowed body activity that some animals go into during very hot, dry weather to save energy and avoid dying from heat or lack of water — similar to hibernation but happening in summer

例句

During the dry season, the African lungfish buries itself in mud and enters a state of estivation.

estivation as a survival strategy during drought

Some desert snails seal their shell openings with a layer of dried mucus to prevent water loss throughout estivation.

同義詞
  • aestivation

    same meaning, British/international spelling

  • summer dormancy

    more general, less technical phrase

  • torpor

    broader term for any temporary inactive state, not limited to summer

反義詞
  • hibernation

    winter dormancy, the cold-season equivalent

  • activity

    the normal state of movement and metabolism

文法句型

enter estivation

in estivation

a period of estivation

用法筆記

Estivation is an uncountable noun and is not used in the plural. It is most common in scientific writing about zoology or ecology. The verb form is 'estivate' (e.g., 'The snail estivates inside its shell.').

常見錯誤

❌The tortoise goes into an estivation for the whole summer.
✅The tortoise goes into estivation for the whole summer.
💡Estivation is uncountable; do not use 'an' before it.
❌Hibernation and estivation are both forms of sleep.
✅Hibernation and estivation are both forms of dormancy.
💡Estivation is not sleep; it is a state of greatly slowed metabolism.

3. the particular way that the outer and inner parts of a flower, especially the pe

3.名詞C2
釋義

the particular way that the outer and inner parts of a flower, especially the petals and sepals, are positioned inside the bud before the flower opens

例句

The estivation pattern of a rose bud shows the petals overlapping one another in a tight spiral.

spiral (imbricate) estivation in rose buds

Botanists use estivation to help classify plant families by the way flower parts are folded before blooming.

同義詞
  • praefoliation

    the same concept but sometimes used specifically for leaf arrangement inside a bud rather than flower parts

  • vernation

    refers to leaf arrangement inside a bud, not flower parts — a related but different term

反義詞
  • anthesis

    the period when the flower is fully open, the opposite of the bud stage

文法句型

the estivation of [a flower]

[type] estivation

用法筆記

In botany, estivation is classified into several named types: valvate (edges meeting without overlap), imbricate (overlapping), twisted (spiral), and others. The term is a count noun when referring to a specific arrangement type (e.g., 'three different estivations were observed').

常見錯誤

❌The estivation of the flower happens after it opens.
✅The estivation of the flower describes the arrangement inside the bud before it opens.
💡Estivation occurs before blooming, not after.