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dormant
[ dawr-muhnt ]
adjective
- lying asleep or as if asleep; inactive, as in sleep; torpid:
The lecturer's sudden shout woke the dormant audience.
Synonyms:
Antonyms: ,
- in a state of rest or inactivity; inoperative; in abeyance:
The project is dormant for the time being.
Synonyms:
- Biology. in a state of minimal metabolic activity with cessation of growth, either as a reaction to adverse conditions or as part of an organism's normal annual rhythm.
- Pathology. (of a disease) in an inactive phase but not cured; no longer exhibiting symptoms but perhaps only temporarily. Compare latent ( def 2 ).
- undisclosed; unasserted:
dormant musical talent.
Synonyms:
- Geology. (of a volcano) not having erupted within the last 10,000 years, but having the probability of erupting again. Compare active ( def 10 ), extinct ( def 5 ).
- Botany. temporarily inactive:
dormant buds; dormant seeds.
- (of a pesticide) applied to a plant during a period of dormancy:
a dormant spray.
- Heraldry. (of an animal) represented as lying with its head on its forepaws, as if asleep.
dormant
/ ˈɔːəԳ /
adjective
- quiet and inactive, as during sleep
- latent or inoperative
- (of a volcano) neither extinct nor erupting
- biology alive but in a resting torpid condition with suspended growth and reduced metabolism
- usually postpositive heraldry (of a beast) in a sleeping position
dormant
- Being in an inactive state during which growth and development cease and metabolism is slowed, usually in response to an adverse environment. In winter, some plants survive as dormant seeds or bulbs, and some animals enter the dormant state of hibernation.
- Not active but capable of renewed activity. Volcanoes that have erupted within historical times and are expected to erupt again are dormant.
Derived Forms
- ˈǰԳ, noun
Other 51Թ Forms
- ԴDz·ǰ·Գ adjective
- ··ǰ·Գ adjective
51Թ History and Origins
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of dormant1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Edison has previously acknowledged that it could be responsible for the blaze and said earlier this month that a dormant power line might have been the cause.
Once chickenpox subsides, the virus can remain dormant in a person’s body for decades before erupting again.
Wildfires are very common in the UK in early spring, with plenty of dead or dormant vegetation at the end of winter that can dry out quickly.
In fact, the regular watering that most vegetables need to thrive can be a death knell to native perennials, especially in late summer, when many go dormant.
Its seeds can lay dormant for years until intense heat and other cues from a wildfire triggers germination.
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