Dormancy

n. hibernation; state of inactivity

Dormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when development is temporarily suspended. This minimizes metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserve energy. Dormancy tends to be closely associated with environmental conditions. Organisms can synchronize entry to a dormant phase with their environment through predictive or consequential means. Predictive dormancy occurs when an organism enters a dormant phase before the onset of adverse conditions. For example, photoperiod and decreasing temperature are used by many plants to predict the onset of winter. Consequential dormancy occurs when organisms enter a dormant phase after adverse conditions have arisen. This is commonly found in areas with an unpredictable climate. While very sudden changes in conditions may lead to a high mortality rate among animals relying on consequential dormancy, its use can be advantageous, as organisms remain active longer, and are therefore able to make greater use of available resources.
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Noun
1. a state of quiet (but possibly temporary) inaction; "the volcano erupted after centuries of dormancy"
(synonym) quiescence, quiescency
(hypernym) inaction, inactivity, inactiveness
(hyponym) hibernation
(attribute) dormant, inactive
2. quiet and inactive restfulness
(synonym) quiescence, quiescency, sleeping
(hypernym) rest, ease, repose, relaxation
(hyponym) vegetation

(n.)
The state of being dormant; quiescence; abeyance.
  

Synonyms and related words:
a wise passiveness, abeyance, apathy, catalepsy, catatonia, cold storage, contemplation, contemplative life, deadliness, deathliness, delitescence, do-nothing policy, do-nothingism, do-nothingness, doldrums, entropy, hibernation, idleness, immobility, inaction, inactiveness, inactivity, indifference, indolence, inertia, inertness, intermission, interruption, laissez-aller, laissez-faire, laissez-faireism, languor, latency, latent content, latent meaningfulness, latentness, lotus-eating, lull, meditation, motionlessness, neutralism, neutrality, neutralness, noninvolvement, nonparticipation, nonresistance, nonviolence, nonviolent resistance, pacifism, paralysis, passive resistance, passive self-annihilation, passiveness, passivism, passivity, policy, possibility, potentiality, procrastination, quiescence, quiescency, quietism, stagnancy, stagnation, standpattism, stasis, suspense, suspension, torpor, underactivity, vegetation, virtuality, vis inertiae, vita contemplativa, waiting game, watching and waiting,