latent period
- noun
- /ˈleɪtənt ˈpɪərɪəd/
- Specialized
:
período de latencia
- Characteristics of pathogens, such as their microscopic size, cryptic signs and symptoms, and latent period, render them especially difficult to detect at ports of entry.
Examples
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After exposure to the virus, the latent period can affect how quickly symptoms manifest.
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Figure 2, panel A, shows the distribution of an index case generation interval: initially a period when no infections take place (latent period); then, as time passes, the profile rises (beginning of infectious period) to a peak (most infections occur at this moment) and later declines, leading to the end of the infectious period.
Academic text (2015) -
Therefore, medians have been used in many studies to compare data on factors such as latent periods, serial intervals, and notification delays, but without taking into account the shape of the distributions (1-3).
Academic text (2015) -
During the secondary response, the production of antibodies, particularly IgG, is characterized by a shorter latent period and a stronger, much longer-lasting response that is elicited by memory cells from the first exposure.
Academic text (2004) -
The latent period for the disease can last several weeks before symptoms appear.
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In medical research, understanding the latent period is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Synonyms
11
6.8
Delay before a device or program responds
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'latent' means 'existing but not apparent' and 'period' means an interval, so 'latent period' straightforwardly denotes an interval that is hidden or not yet showing effects (matching the medical/scientific sense). This adjective+noun pattern is a regular, predictable formation (and has clear equivalents in many languages), so a learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase latent period uses latent meaning 'hidden' and period meaning a time before something appears. This is like a seed under the ground that waits before it 'shows', so the phrase means the time between an event and when the result or 'symptoms' appear.