DEFERRABLE Clause
The DEFERRABLE and NOT DEFERRABLE parameters indicate whether or not, in subsequent transactions,
constraint checking can be deferred until the end of the transaction using the SET CONSTRAINT(S)
statement. If you omit this clause, then the default is NOT DEFERRABLE.
Specify NOT DEFERRABLE to indicate that in subsequent transactions you cannot use the SET
CONSTRAINT[S] clause to defer checking of this constraint until the transaction is committed. The
checking of a NOT DEFERRABLE constraint can never be deferred to the end of the transaction.
If you declare a new constraint NOT DEFERRABLE, then it must be valid at the time the CREATE TABLE
or ALTER TABLE statement is committed or the statement will fail.
Specify DEFERRABLE to indicate that in subsequent transactions you can use the SET CONSTRAINT[S]
clause to defer checking of this constraint until after the transaction is committed. This setting
in effect lets you disable the constraint temporarily while making changes to the database that
might violate the constraint until all the changes are complete.
You cannot alter the deferrability of a constraint. That is, whether you specify either of these
parameters, or make the constraint NOT DEFERRABLE implicitly by specifying neither of them, you
cannot specify this clause in an ALTER TABLE statement. You must drop the constraint and re-create
it.
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14200/clauses002.htm#i1002038