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latently
Variant of latent
latent
definition
la·tent (lāt′'nt)
adjective
- present but invisible or inactive; lying hidden and undeveloped within a person or thing, as a quality or power
- Biol. dormant but capable of normal development under the best conditions: said of buds, spores, cocoons, etc.
- Psychol. unconsciously but not actively so a latent homosexual
Etymology: L latens, prp. of latere, to lie hidden, lurk < IE *lāidh- < base *lā-, to be hidden > ON lōmr, deception, Gr lēthē, forgetfulness, lanthanein, to be hidden
noun
a fingerprint found on an object as at the scene of a crime
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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