latency

[leyt-n-see]

noun

plural

latencies 

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of latency¹

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

Example Sentences

“Data centers need low latency and high-density bandwidth density,” Gastwirth said, referring to fiber-optic technology’s ability to transmit data faster and in greater quantities.

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Traditional electronics can no longer reduce latency or increase throughput enough to keep up with today's data-heavy applications.

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SoundHound initially chose Oracle as a cloud vendor because the company was looking for a “true partner” and a platform that could provide zero latency, she added.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The AI processing cabinets are jammed in together to eliminate this element of latency and create what the tech sector calls parallel processing, operating as one enormous computer.

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With their long latency periods - time between exposure to a cancer-causing factor and the appearance of detectable cancer - treatment outcomes are relatively good.

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