n.
Pronunciation: ' st ā -s ə s, ' sta-
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural sta · ses \ ' st ā - ˌ s ē z, ' sta- \
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek, act or condition of standing, stopping, from histasthai to stand ― more at STAND
Date: 1745
1 : a slowing or stoppage of the normal flow of a bodily fluid or semifluid: as a : slowing of the current of circulating blood b : reduced motility of the intestines with retention of feces
2 a : a state of static balance or equilibrium : STAGNATION b : a state or period of stability during which little or no evolutionary change in a lineage occurs