estiv-, aestiv-; estuar-, aestuar-

(Latin: pertaining to summer; heat, fire; the ebb and flow of the sea, tide)

aestus, estus (s) (noun)
1. An increase of heat to a region of the body: "Andy had an estus or a facial flush that was caused by his anger when he locked himself out of his apartment and forgot to take his door key with him."
2. A heaving or undulating motion: "There was an estus of the earth when a mild quake happened."
estival, aestival (adjective)
1. A reference to an early summer season.
2. Relating to or happening during summer.
estivate, aestivate (verb); estivates, aestivates; estivated, aestivated; estivating, aestivating
1. To spend the summer in a particular or special place: Jake and Jackie plan to estivate at the lake and go boating every day.
2. In zoology, to spend the summer in a dormant or an inactive and torpid (suspended animation) condition: Alex was amazed to realize that many animals tend to estivate during the summer; especially, during the hot dry weather.
To spend the summer somewhere.
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estivation, aestivation (s) (noun); estivations, aestivations (pl)
1. Passing the summer or dry season in a dormant or torpid state: Usually a reference to animals; especially some amphibians, reptiles, and insects.

2. The manner in which plant structures are folded prior to expansion or opening.
estrus, oestrus (s) (noun); estruses, oestruses (pl)
1. A recurrent, restricted period of sexual receptivity in female mammals other than humans, marked by intense sexual urge as a result of congestion of and secretion by the uterine mucosa, proliferation of vaginal epithelium, swelling of the vulva, ovulation, and acceptance of the male by the female.

During estrus, the animal is said to be "in heat".

This word is presented here to let you know that it has no etymological connection with the estiv-, aestiv-; estuar-, aestuar- elements of this unit. Most dictionaries do not make this distinction and that is why it is presented here.

2. Etymology: from Latin oestrus, "frenzy, gadfly"; from Greek oistros, "gadfly, breeze, sting, mad impulse; frenzy".
estuarial (adjective)
1. A reference to the part of the wide lower course of a river where its current is met by the tides.
2. A descriptive term relating to or found in the arms of the seas that extend inland to meet the mouths of rivers.
estuarine (adjective), more estuarine, most estuaring
Of, relating to, or found in an area where a freshwater river meets the ocean and tidal influences result in fluctuations in the salinity of the intermixed waters.
estuarine deposit (s) (noun), estuarine deposits (pl)
A sedimentary deposit laid down at the head or floor of the wide part of a river where it flows into an ocean, and characterized by fine-grained, clayey, or silty sediments mixed with decomposed organic matter.
estuarine environment (s) (noun), estuarine environments (pl)
The physical conditions that characterize the mouth of a river where it connects with the open sea and fresh water mixes with salty ocean water.
estuarine oceanography (s) (noun), estuarine oceanographies (pl)
The study of the physical, geological, chemical, and biological properties or characteristics of the wide parts of rivers where they come close to the sea.
estuary (s) (noun), estuaries (pl)
1. A tidal opening, an inlet or creek through which the tide enters; an arm of the sea indenting the land.
2. The tidal mouth of a great river, where the tide meets the current of fresh water.
3. A semi-enclosed coastal body of water that has a connection with the open sea and within which fresh water and salt water mix by means of currents and tides.
4. Etymology: from Latin aesturium, "a tide place" from aestus, "boiling heat, fire; the ebb and flow of the sea, tide"; related to aestus, "heat".

An estuary is the mouth of a river where the tide of the ocean and the current of the river meet, and the rough waters at such a point demanded a word of action. The Latin aestuarium gave us the word from aestus which meant "heat, bubbling, boiling" and so the "swelling sea".

—According to Wilfred Funk, Litt. D. in his
Word Origins and Their Romantic Stories;
Publishers Grosset & Dunlap; New York; 1950; page 339.

There are those who are trying to develop the tidal energy of the estuaries; that is, water-powered turbines that spin in the current as the tides come and go, turning generators to make electricity that is lean and, they hope, reasonably priced.

Estuaries make promising locations for tidal power if the technology improves and more power can be generated in slower currents.

—Based on information located in
"Tide and time beckon green-energy entrepreneurs" by Henry Fountain;
International Herald Tribune; April 23, 2010; page 16.
estuary pollution (s) (noun), estuary pollutions (pl)
Contamination where ocean tides and river currents meet with sewage effluents, chemicals, detergents, and fertilizer runoffs.
estuation, aestuation (s) (noun); estuations, aestuations (pl)
Commotion of a fluid; a boiling as of a fluid; a feverish agitation.