\La"tent\, a. [L. latens, -entis, p. pr. of latere to lie
hid or concealed; cf. Gr. ?, E. lethargy: cf. F. latent.]
Not visible or apparent; hidden; springs of action.
      The evils latent in the most promising contrivances are
      provided for as they arise.              --Burke.
{Latent buds} (bot.), buds which remain undeveloped or
   dormant for a long time, but may at length grow.
{Latent heat} (Physics), that quantity of heat which
   disappears or becomes concealed in a body while producing
   some change in it other than rise of temperature, as
   fusion, evaporation, or expansion, the quantity being
   constant for each particular body and for each species of
   change.
{Latent period}.
(a) (Med.) The regular time in which a disease is supposed to
    be existing without manifesting itself.
(b) (Physiol.) One of the phases in a simple muscular
    contraction, in which invisible preparatory changes are
    taking place in the nerve and muscle.
(c) (Biol.) One of those periods or resting stages in the
    development of the ovum, in which development is arrested
    prior to renewed activity.