gestation

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noun ges·ta·tion \ je-ˈstā-shən \

Definition of gestation

1 :the carrying of young in the uterus (see uterus 1) :pregnancy

2 :conception (see conception 3) and development especially in the mind

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gestational

play \je-ˈstā-shnəl, -shə-nᵊl\ adjective

See gestation defined for English-language learners

See gestation defined for kids

Examples of gestation in a Sentence

the gestation of new ideas
The book has been in gestation for a long time.

Recent Examples of gestation from the Web

Read more: Camels are born after a 12- to 14-month gestation period and can stand and walk alongside its mother in 30 minutes.

— tanya wildt, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Zoo's camel family grows by 2 humps," 9 Aug. 2017
Fullbright measures Tacoma's gestation period in two ways.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "How Gone Home’s creators rewound time to find their sci-fi future," 1 Aug. 2017
As Wired points out, human ashes do not contain any nutrients (and the pH can even be quite harmful to seeds), so the system works by keeping the ashes and the seeds separate during the gestation period.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "This New Urn Will Turn Your Loved One's Ashes Into a Tree," 31 July 2017
Newborn calves, born after a 15-month gestation period, weigh between 73 and 121 pounds.

— shauna steigerwald, Cincinnati.com, "Critically endangered black rhino baby born at Cincinnati Zoo," 18 July 2017
After fertilization and a gestation period of about 22 days, mother mice can have anywhere from three to six babies.

— lindsey bever, Washington Post, "Why this adorable mouse is to blame for the spread of Lyme disease," 17 July 2017
Babies as young as 22 weeks' gestation, which just a few decades ago might not have had any hope, are regularly given a chance at life.

— michelle matthews, AL.com, "Mobile hospital starts hair-raising challenge for premature babies," 11 July 2017
One week ago, after a long and contentious gestation period, lawmakers in Olympia finally birthed their plan to fully fund K-12 education.

— neal morton, The Seattle Times, "FAQ: Where will Washington state’s $7.3 billion education dollars go?," 7 July 2017
Four decades is a long gestation period by anyone's definition, but the result was worth the wait.

— chuck yarborough, cleveland.com, "Alexis Antes' first album in 14 years pays homage to parents, rekindles memories of Odd Girl Out (CD review)," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gestation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gestation

Latin gestation-, gestatio, from gestare to bear, frequentative of gerere to bear

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First Known Use: 1615

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gestation Synonyms

Synonyms

family way, pregnancy, gravidity

Related Words

conception; begetting, breeding, generation, procreation, siring, spawning

Near Antonyms

barrenness, infertility

Other Embryology Terms

gravid, neonate, ontogeny, parturition

GESTATION Defined for English Language Learners

gestation

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noun

Definition of gestation for English Language Learners

: the time when a person or animal is developing inside its mother before it is born; also : the process of development that happens during this time
: the process by which something (such as an idea) forms and develops