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dormancy

[ dawr-muh n-see ]

/ ˈdɔr mən si /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dormancy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state of being dormant.

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RELATED WORDS

inactivity, latency, quiescence, suspension, inertia, inaction

Nearby words

Origin of dormancy

First recorded in 1780–90; dorm(ant) + -ancy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dormancy

Instead, he found that they developed erratically and sometimes experienced periods of dormancy before reawakening.
How Big Pharma Holds Back in the War on Cancer|ProPublica|April 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The activity of the plague in London in 1563 made up for its dormancy in the years preceding.
A History of Epidemics in Britain (Volume I of II)|Charles Creighton
The most remarkable thing about them is the length and intensity of their dormancy in hibernation.
Zoology: The Science of Animal Life|Ernest Ingersoll
That has been during their season of dormancy, but in every case they have pushed at the proper time.
Hardy Perennials and Old Fashioned Flowers|John Wood

The change of seasons, and an annual period of dormancy, demand forethought and prudence.
The Theistic Conception of the World|B. F. (Benjamin Franklin) Cocker
Men wonder at mummy-wheat germinating after a thousand years of dormancy.
McClure's Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, June 1893|Various

Word Origin and History for dormancy

dormancy

n.

1789; see dormant + -cy.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper