Gestation
/dʒɛˈsteɪʃən/
nounC1
Definition
Gestation means the time during which a baby grows inside its mother's body before it is born. This period can be different for animals and humans. It is a natural process where the baby slowly develops until it is ready to live outside.
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See It in Action
The biological process of developing a baby inside the mother
- •The gestation period for humans is about nine months.
- •Elephants have one of the longest gestation periods among animals.
- •During gestation, the embryo grows into a fully formed baby.
The time a plan or idea takes to develop before it is finished or shown
- •The project was in gestation for several months before launch.
- •His ideas were in gestation before he shared them with the team.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "gestation" like "pregnancy" (A2 word), but it focuses more on the whole process and time of development inside the mother.
- ✓Picture a small seed growing inside soil, slowly becoming a plant over time—gestation is like that, but for a baby inside the mother.
- ✓It's the feeling of waiting and preparing for something important to be ready, like waiting for bread to bake in the oven.
- ✓Sounds like "jest-AY-shun" → imagine a "guest" (sounds like "jest") staying inside a house (mother) for a long time before leaving.
- ✓In stories, the idea of waiting for a new life or change to happen quietly inside before showing up outside.
- ✓NOT like "birth" (the event of being born), gestation is the time before birth.
- ✓NOT like "growth" in general, gestation is a special kind of growth inside the mother.
- ✓NOT like "incubation" (used for eggs or machines), gestation is specifically for mammals carrying babies inside.
Try Other Words
- •Pregnancy: the state of carrying a baby inside the body (Use in everyday conversation about humans)
- •Development: the process of growing or changing (Use when talking about ideas or things growing, not babies)
- •Incubation: keeping eggs or ideas warm to develop (Use mainly for eggs or projects, not mammals)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "gest-" (carry, produce) + "-ation" (a noun suffix meaning the action or process)
- •Etymology: From Latin "gestatio," meaning the act of carrying or bearing
- •Historical development: Used first in English around the 1600s to describe carrying young inside the mother
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in biology, medicine, and sometimes metaphorically for ideas or projects in development
Reflect & Connect
•How does understanding gestation help us appreciate the time needed for growth and change in nature and life?
•Can the idea of gestation be applied to your own learning or projects? How?
Fill in the blanks
1.The gestation period of a human baby typically lasts about ___ months before birth.
2.During gestation, the mother’s body ___ the baby and provides all the needed nutrients.
3.Unlike birth, gestation is the ___ when the baby is still inside the mother.
4.The term gestation is mostly used to talk about ___ development inside mammals.
5.When a project is in gestation, it means the idea is ___ before being shared or completed.
6.Animals like elephants have a longer gestation ___ than smaller animals.
7.The health of the mother can affect the ___ of the baby during gestation.