1. past tense of gestate; carried developing offspring in the womb during pregnancy
Usage: biological/medical context
2. past tense of gestate; developed gradually over time
Usage: figurative use

Examples

• The mare gestated her foal for eleven months.
• Human babies are typically gestated for nine months.
• The idea gestated in her mind for years before she acted on it.
• The project gestated slowly through multiple committee meetings.
• His novel gestated over a decade of careful planning.
• The revolutionary concept gestated during his time abroad.