Oxford Dictionary of English:

Building Blocks/Dictionary & Thesaurus/Latent.md

AstrologyArithetic · building-blocks · dictionary-thesaurus

Oxford Dictionary of English:

“latent | 'leit(a)nt |

adjective

(of a quality or state) existing but not yet developed or manifest; hidden or concealed: they have a huge reserve of latent talent.

• Biology lying dormant or hidden until circumstances are suitable for development or manifestation: axillary buds or eyes in the leaf axils are latent growth buds.
• (of a disease) not yet manifesting the usual symptoms: diabetes may be latent for some years before diagnosis | the latent stage of syphilis.
• Physiology (of a microorganism, especially a virus) present in the body without causing disease, but capable of doing so at a later stage, or when transmitted to another body.

DERIVATIVES

latently adverb

ORIGIN

late Middle English: from Latin latent- 'being hidden', from the verb latere.”