latency

/ˈleɪɾɪnsi/

/ˈleɪtɪnsi/

Other forms: latencies

Latency is a noun referring to something inactive, dormant, or lying in wait. It’s the state of not being visibly active yet — like when you're hiding out and waiting to jump up and yell "Surprise!"

Perhaps a little late, perhaps right on time, latency will wake up from its nap eventually. For a characteristic or skill to be in a period of latency, it does have to exist. So you should only use latency to describe your pitching ability if there is a fastball in you somewhere – otherwise, just admit you can’t pitch. If you’re in the lab, latency is also used to describe the period between a stimulus and a response.

Definitions of latency

1. noun

   the state of being not yet evident or active
   type of:

   potency, potential, potentiality

   the inherent capacity for coming into being
2. noun

   the time that elapses between a stimulus and the response to it
   synonyms: latent period, reaction time, response time

   type of:

   interval, time interval

   a definite length of time marked off by two instants
3. noun

   (computer science) the time it takes for a specific block of data on a data track to rotate around to the read/write head
   synonyms: rotational latency

   type of:

   interval, time interval

   a definite length of time marked off by two instants