Noun: aestivation ,es-ti'vey-shun or ,ees-ti'vey-shun
- (zoology) cessation or slowing of activity during the summer; especially slowing of metabolism in some animals during a hot or dry period
"The snail's aestivation allowed it to survive the drought";
- estivation [US]
- (botany) the arrangement of sepals and petals in a flower bud before it opens
"The botanist studied the aestivation of various species to understand their evolutionary relationships";
- estivation [US]
Derived forms: aestivations
Type of: arrangement, dormancy, quiescence, quiescency
Part of: flower bud
Encyclopedia: Aestivation