latent period

American  

noun

1. Pathology. Also 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.

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latent period British  

noun

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

2. another name for latent time

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latent period Scientific  

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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Etymology

Origin of latent period

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

"Cardiac disease can have what we call a latent period – it may not manifest at the time of a screen and instead happen down the line," says Augustine.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

That’s because the leafroll virus has a latent period of one year, Gold said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2023

The first phase is the latent period, during which the action potential is being propagated along the sarcolemma and Ca++ ions are released from the SR.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Microbes differ from each other in terms of their latent period, the period of time between when an individual is exposed and when they become infectious or capable of transmitting the agent to others.

From Scientific American • Oct. 11, 2011

Survivors of Hiroshima began to develop leukemia only three years after the atomic bombing, and there is now reason to believe the latent period may be considerably shorter.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson