What is "latent period"

Latency \La"ten*cy\, n. [See Latent.]

1. The state or quality of being latent.

   To simplify the discussion, I shall distinguish three degrees of this latency.
   --Sir W. Hamilton.

2. The time between a stimulus the appearance of the response; the time between any causal action and the first appearance of the effect. Called also latent period.

3. Hence: (Med.) The time between exposure to a carcinogen or other disease-causing agent and the appearance of the consequent disease.

1. n. the time that elapses between a stimulus and the response to it [syn: reaction time, response time, latency]

2. the time that elapses before the presence of a disease is manifested by symptoms