latency

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   delay between a request, signal, or action and the response to it

   High network latency made the video call feel awkward.

2. 2
   noun

   the state of being present but not yet active or visible

   The virus can remain in latency for years.

3. 3
   noun

   delay between a stimulus and an organism's response

   Researchers measured the latency of the reflex after each stimulus.

From latent + -ency; latent comes from Latin latere (to lie hidden). The technical delay sense developed from the idea of something not yet manifest.

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