Gestate
/ˈdʒɛs.teɪt/noun
To carry or develop offspring in the womb until birth.
Did you know?In ancient beliefs, gestation was often seen as a mystical period where the soul of the unborn was influenced by celestial forces.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʲes-
“to carry or bear.”
Latin
Latin
gestare
“to bear, carry, or manage.”
Late Latin
Late Latin
gestatio
“the act of bearing or carrying.”
Old French
Old French
gester
“to carry or convey.”
Middle English
Middle English
gestaten
“to carry a fetus; to develop a young one.”
Modern English
English
gestate
“to undergo the process of gestation.”