estivate
verb
es·ti·vate
ˈe-stə-ˌvāt
variants
or aestivate
estivated or aestivated; estivating or aestivating; estivates or aestivates
1
zoology
: to pass the summer in a state of torpor or dormancy
Snails combat desiccation by estivating, that is, burrowing into the mud and sealing up the shell with mucus until conditions improve.—Mark Woolhouse
compare hibernate
2
: to spend the summer usually at one place
… I asked him to Skype in from the Connecticut coastline, where he is estivating while on a prestigious writing fellowship …—Glen Weldon
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share