Word of the Day

: March 27, 2015

quiescent

adjective kwy-ESS-unt

What It Means

1 : marked by inactivity or repose : tranquilly at rest

2 : causing no trouble or symptoms

quiescent in Context

The alligator is deceptively quiescent on the sunny shore, watching its approaching prey, waiting for the moment to strike.

"Measles made a modest comeback around 1990, and then fell quiescent-until the recent outbreak of measles cases at Disneyland in California…." - Richard A. Epstein, Defining Ideas, February 2, 2015

Did You Know?

Quiescent won't cause you any pain, and neither will its synonyms latent, dormant, and potential-at least not immediately. All four words mean "not now showing signs of activity or existence." Latent usually applies to something that has not yet come forth but may emerge and develop, as in "a latent desire for success." Dormant implies a state of inactivity similar to sleep, as in "their passions lay dormant." Potential applies to what may or may not come to be. "A potential disaster" is a typical example. Quiescent, which traces to Latin quiescere (meaning "to become quiet" or "to rest"), often suggests a temporary cessation of activity, as in "a quiescent disease" or "a summer resort quiescent in wintertime."