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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

First recorded in 1830–40
Also called latency.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
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
latent period in Medicine

latent period

n.
  1. The period elapsing between the application of a stimulus and the obvious response, such as the contraction of a muscle.
  2. The interval between exposure to an infectious organism or a carcinogen and the clinical appearance of disease.incubation period
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
latent period in Science

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.