verb
- past tense of estivate; to spend the summer in a dormant or inactive state, especially to survive hot, dry conditions
Usage: biology; zoology
Examples
- The desert tortoise estivated underground during the hottest months.
- Many snails have estivated in their shells to avoid dehydration.
- The lungfish estivated in dried mud until the rains returned.
- Scientists discovered that the frogs had estivated for six months.
- The ground squirrels estivated in their burrows during summer.
- After the drought ended, the estivated animals became active again.