suspended animation

American  

noun

1. a state of temporary cessation of the vital functions.

---

suspended animation British  

noun

1. a temporary cessation of the vital functions, as by freezing an organism

---

Etymology

Origin of suspended animation

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

The crew, who are near the end of a 65-year mission — suspended animation keeps them young and pretty — are transporting an extraterrestrial bestiary back to Earth.

From Los Angeles Times

Going to sleep in the cryochamber – with its pods radiating outward like the petals of a suspended animation daisy – was their second mistake.

From Salon

The host of life on ice includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, even microscopic animals like nematodes, some dead and some alive in suspended animation.

From Salon

Even where trees don't drop their leaves and the earth doesn't sleep under a blanket of snow, subtle changes may indicate a slowing, a retreat, a sense of suspended animation.

From Salon

And yes, the Democrats in Washington seem to be in a state of suspended animation.

From Salon