latent period


noun
  1. Also latency period. Pathology. the interval between exposure to a carcinogen, toxin, or disease-causing organism and development of a consequent disease.

  2. Physiology. the interval between stimulus and reaction.

Origin of latent period

1
First recorded in 1830–40

Words Nearby latent period

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How to use latent period in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for latent period

latent period

noun
  1. the incubation period of an infectious disease, before symptoms appear

  2. another name for latent time

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for latent period

latent period

  1. The interval between exposure to an infectious organism or a carcinogen and the appearance of symptoms or signs of disease.

  2. The period elapsing between the application of a stimulus and the expected response, such as the contraction of a muscle.

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