Main Entry: la·ten·cy

Pronunciation: \ˈlā-t^ən(t)-sē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural la·ten·cies

Date: circa 1638

1 : the quality or state of being latent : dormancy
2 : something latent
3 : a stage of psychosexual development following the phallic stage that extends from about the age of five or six to the beginning of puberty and during which sexual urges often appear to lie dormant
4 : latent period 2