wait state

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

wait state

   <architecture> A delay of one or more {clock} cycles added to
   a processor's instruction execution time to allow it to
   communicate with slow external devices.  The number and
   duration of wait states may be pre-configured or they may be
   controlled dynamically via certain control lines.

   (1996-10-16)