dormancy

[ dawr-muhn-see ]

noun

1. the state of being dormant.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dormancy¹

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

Example Sentences

That goal has come to pass: Something is always blooming in her yard, even during summer dormancy when many native plants go brown or die back to protect themselves from the heat.

From Los Angeles Times

The decision follows months of legal wrangling about whether the pre-statehood law could be enforced after years of dormancy.

From BBC

These types of grapes are typically suited to colder environments and require a period of dormancy with cool temperatures in the winter to grow properly in the summer months.

From Salon

But after lying dormant for 40 years of dormancy, the law was deployed with renewed vigor: Barack Obama's administration prosecuted twice as many Espionage Act cases as all previous administrations combined.

From Salon

Consider the common lawn weed Plantago lanceolata, otherwise known as ribwort or buckhorn plantain, which has the longest dormancy in the United States, according to the report.

From Science Daily