n.
- The period of development in the uterus from conception until birth; pregnancy.
- The conception and development of a plan or an idea in the mind.
[Late Latin gestātiō, gestātiōn-, from Latin, a carrying, from gestātus, past participle of gestāre.]
gestatory ges'ta·to'ry (jĕs'tə-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē) or ges·ta'tion·al adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
