Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Dormancy \Dor"man*cy\, n. [From Dormant.] The state of being dormant; quiescence; abeyance.
It is by lying dormant a long time, or being . . . very
rarely exercised, that arbitrary power steals upon a
people.
--Burke.
2. (Her.) In a sleeping posture; as, a lion dormant; -- distinguished from couchant.
Dormant partner (Com.), a partner who takes no share in the active business of a company or partnership, but is entitled to a share of the profits, and subject to a share in losses; -- called also sleeping partner or silent partner.
Dormant window (Arch.), a dormer window. See Dormer.
Table dormant, a stationary table. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.
Wiktionary
n. (context UK English) a business partner who doesn't play an active role in running the day-to-day operations of a business, who instead, finances the business in the form of capital investment
WordNet
n. a partner (who usually provides capital) whose association with the enterprise is not public knowledge [syn: silent partner]
Usage examples of "sleeping partner".
Accordingly, one morning in the summer of 1976 he woke, pulled down the bedcovers, pulled up the nightgown of his sleeping partner, slapped her roundly on the bottom, and said, “.
Hendrick Tabaka owned over fifty large general dealer stores in the black townships along the gold reef, and Moses Gama was his sleeping partner.
I'll be a sleeping partner, maybe a gate to some military contracts, but essentially it'll be your field.
No sooner had Trinket settled back in his sedan than Yang Yizhi, his late sleeping partner at dice, came running up with something in his hands.
Because the time has come for you to stop being a sleeping partner and start fulfilling your end of the bargain.
Lastly, he was a charming fellow and showed that he was not lacking in intelligence, for, as soon as he made up his mind to be a sleeping partner in the Opera, he selected the best possible active manager and went straight to Firmin Richard.
William McOmish has taken Louida You-Know-Who as a sleeping partner!
Now it appeared to him (Pumblechook) that if that capital were got into the business, through a sleeping partner, sir –.