gestationnoun [ U ]
uk/dʒesˈteɪ.ʃən/us/dʒesˈteɪ.ʃən/gestation noun [ U ] (BABY)
specialized biology (the period of) the development of a child or young animal while it is still inside its mother's body:
The baby was born prematurely at 28 weeks gestation.
The period of gestation of rats is 21 days.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Animal reproduction
- asexual
- asexual reproduction
- bird
- breed
- egg
- embryo
- embryonic
- estrogen
- fertilize
- fetus
- incubate
- infertile
- inseminate
- lamb
- mate
- ova
- reproduction
- spawning ground
- spermatozoon
- the birds and the bees idiom
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gestation noun [ U ] (IDEA)
(the period of) the development of ideas, thoughts, or plans:
The project had a very long gestation period.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Starting and beginning
- be in the first flush of idiom
- become
- begin
- branch out
- break into sth
- export
- ground
- incipient
- initiator
- instate
- introduce
- kick
- kick-start
- strike
- swing into action idiom
- touch sth off
- train
- trigger
- wade in
- weave
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gestate
verb [ I ] uk/dʒesˈteɪt/us/dʒesˈteɪt/