Referring to a planet or moon with the varying shape of the lighted portion; such as, full, half, crescent, etc.

The period (as opposed to the "statary phase") in the activity cycle of an army ant colony during which the colony forages more actively for food and moves frequently from one bivouac site to another: Throughout the nomadic phase, the queen does not lay eggs, and the bulk of the brood is in the larval stage.