English

Noun

quiescence ‎(countable and uncountable, plural quiescences)

1. The state of being quiescent; dormancy.
2. Being at rest, quiet, still, inactive or motionless.
3. The action of bringing something to rest or making it quiescent; the action of coming to rest or to a quiescent state.
   • 1662 Thomas Salusbury, Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Dialogue 2:

     I pray you, Salviatus, to tell me ... the cause of the Pendulum's quiescence.

4. (microbiology) The period when a cell is in a term of no growth and no division.
5. (entomology) In insects, a temporary slowing down of metabolism and development in response to adverse environmental conditions, which, unlike diapause, does not involve physiological changes.

References

• quiescence at OneLook Dictionary Search