Main Entry:

sta·sis

Pronunciation:

\ˈstā-səs, ˈsta-\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural sta·ses \ˈstā-ˌsēz, ˈsta-\

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