latency

American  

[leyt-n-see] / ˈleɪt n si /

noun

latencies plural

1. the state of being latent.

2. latent period.

3. Computers. the period of delay when one component of a hardware system is waiting for an action to be executed by another component.

4. Digital Technology. the time required online or in a network for the one-way or round-trip transfer of data between two nodes.

5. Digital Technology. (in virtual reality and other types of simulation) the discrepancy between the time delay of stimulus and response in the simulation as compared to the real-world equivalent.

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Etymology

Origin of latency

First recorded in 1630–40; lat(ent) + -ency

Explanation

Latency is a noun referring to something inactive, dormant, or lying in wait. It’s the state of not being visibly active yet — like when you're hiding out and waiting to jump up and yell "Surprise!" Perhaps a little late, perhaps right on time, latency will wake up from its nap eventually. For a characteristic or skill to be in a period of latency, it does have to exist. So you should only use latency to describe your pitching ability if there is a fastball in you somewhere – otherwise, just admit you can’t pitch. If you’re in the lab, latency is also used to describe the period between a stimulus and a response.

Example Sentences

Latency will be described in more detail below.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Together, these features mean the Focus 3 can more easily support the group VR sessions you’d find at an immersive free-roam arcade space like Zero Latency or The Void.

From The Verge • Nov. 11, 2021

Latency — the delay between a live action and when it’s received — barely affects an office meeting, but it can be deadly to the subtle, split-second interactions of musicians working together.

From New York Times • Jul. 21, 2020

Before we’re shepherded into the cavernous Zero Latency area, one of my Japanese teammates mentions he has little interest in games that don’t predate the 1986 Famicom.

From The Guardian • Jul. 23, 2018

Latency of specific and varietal characters in wheat-ear carnation, in the green dahlias, in white campanulas and others.

From Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation by Vries, Hugo de