To carry and develop a fetus in the uterus during pregnancy; also used figuratively to mean developing or maturing an idea or plan.
From Latin 'gestatus' (past participle of 'gestare,' meaning 'to carry' or 'to bear'), first used in English in the 17th century for biological pregnancy.
Humans gestate longer than almost any mammal—nine months—because our complex brains need extra development time, which is why human babies are so helpless at birth.
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