quality control The use of any device, technique, method, or person that makes possible the production, on time and at the lowest cost, of products of the quality necessary to gain full customer acceptance.

quiescence The absence of growth, usually inferring the absence of environmental conditions favoring growth. Usage: Although dormant seed are quiescent, quiescence is distinguished from dormancy, which implies the inability to germinate even in the presence of environmental conditions favoring growth.