dormant

[ dawr-muhnt ]

adjective

1. lying asleep or as if asleep; inactive, as in sleep; torpid:

   The lecturer's sudden shout woke the dormant audience.

   Synonyms: quiescent

   Antonyms: active, awake

2. in a state of rest or inactivity; inoperative; in abeyance:

   The project is dormant for the time being.

   Synonyms: quiescent

3. 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.
4. Pathology. (of a disease) in an inactive phase but not cured; no longer exhibiting symptoms but perhaps only temporarily. Compare latent ( def 2 ).
5. undisclosed; unasserted:

   dormant musical talent.

   Synonyms: latent

6. 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 ).
7. Botany. temporarily inactive:

   dormant buds; dormant seeds.

8. (of a pesticide) applied to a plant during a period of dormancy:

   a dormant spray.

9. Heraldry. (of an animal) represented as lying with its head on its forepaws, as if asleep.

dormant

/ ˈdɔːmənt /

adjective

1. quiet and inactive, as during sleep
2. latent or inoperative
3. (of a volcano) neither extinct nor erupting
4. biology alive but in a resting torpid condition with suspended growth and reduced metabolism
5. usually postpositive heraldry (of a beast) in a sleeping position

dormant

/ dôr′mənt /

1. 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.
2. Not active but capable of renewed activity. Volcanoes that have erupted within historical times and are expected to erupt again are dormant.

Derived Forms

• ˈdormancy, noun

Other Words From

• non·dor·mant adjective
• sem·i·dor·mant adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dormant¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English dorma(u)nt, from Anglo-French, present participle of dormir, from Latin dormīre “to sleep”; -ant

Word History and Origins

Origin of dormant¹

C14: from Old French dormant, from dormir to sleep, from Latin dormīre

Synonym Study

See inactive.

Example Sentences

Most commercially available tools for extracting DNA from soils leave a mixture of living, dormant and dead cells from microorganisms, Wagner said.

From Science Daily

Other companies have also rushed to Saskatchewan to capitalise on the boom, starting their own exploration projects in the region, while existing players re-opened dormant mines.

From BBC

Class consciousness has largely remained dormant in America, in large part because most people consider themselves to belong to the same amorphous socioeconomic class.

From Salon

Yet unless these memories are processed and commemorated, they will remain dormant in our collective memory, where they run the risk of being triggered, Makari said.

From Salon

For the guts of a quarter of a century the hall lay virtually dormant and fell into disrepair.

From BBC

Related Words

• asleep
• comatose
• inert
• inoperative
• latent
• passive
• sidelined
• sluggish