diapause

American

[dahy-uh-pawz] / ˈdaɪ əˌpɔz /

noun

a period of hormonally controlled quiescence, especially in immature insects, characterized by cessation of growth and reduction of metabolic activity, often occurring seasonally or when environmental conditions are unfavorable.

verb (used without object)

diapaused, diapausing

to undergo diapause.

diapause British

/ ˈdaɪəˌpɔːz /

noun

a period of suspended development and growth accompanied by decreased metabolism in insects and some other animals. It is correlated with seasonal changes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of diapause

1890–95; < Greek diápausis; see dia-, pause

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

diapause

Like many insects, ladybirds enter a state of inactivity over winter known as diapause – an insect version of hibernation.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025

Overall, the researchers identified 6,247 paralog pairs that exhibited specialized gene expression patterns during diapause.

From Science Daily ● May 28, 2024

"Killifish are the only vertebrate species that we know of that can undergo diapause so late in development."

From Science Daily ● May 28, 2024

But Dr. Lysiak said there is a phenomenon that could explain the first scenario: delayed implantation, also known as embryonic diapause.

From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2023

The embryos develop inside, and the immature insects rest for about 9 1/2 months in suspended development, or diapause.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 13, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023