| latent heat | The amount of heat that a substance may absorb without an increase in temperature, as in conversion from solid to liquid state (ice to water at 0캜), or from liquid to gaseous state (water to steam at 100캜). Compare: sensible heat. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| latent homosexuality | An erotic inclination toward members of the same sex not consciously experienced or expressed in overt action, as opposed to overt homosexuality Use of this term is disappearing because of both its potentially iatrogenic effect and the inability to validate the phenomenon by techniques outside of psychoanalytic theory. Synonym: unconscious homosexuality. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent hyperopia | The difference between total and manifest hyperopia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent infection | An asymptomatic infection capable of manifesting symptoms under particular circumstances or if activated. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent learning | That learning which is not evident to the observer at the time it occurs, but which is inferred from later performance in which learning is more rapid than would be expected without the earlier experience. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent microbism | The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the body that elicit no symptoms; the condition of a pathogen carrier. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent nystagmus | Jerky nystagmus that is brought out by covering one eye. The fast phase is always away from the covered eye. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent period | A seemingly inactive period, as that between exposure of tissue to an injurious agent and the manifestation of response or that between the instant of stimulation and the beginning of response. (18 Nov 1997) |
| latent rat virus | A virus of the genus Parvovirus causing inapparent infection in rats; also recoverable from rat tumours. Synonym: latent rat virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent reflex | A reflex which must be considered normal but which usually appears only under some pathologic circumstance that lowers its threshold. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent stage | incubation period |
| latent syphilis | Infection with Treponema pallidum, after the manifestations of primary and secondary syphilis have subsided (or were never noticed), before any manifestations of tertiary syphilis have appeared. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent tetany | A rather vague disorder recognised more in Europe than in the U.S. Consisting of a number of non-specific complaints, including generalised weakness, hand and foot cramping, distal paresthesia, anxiety, and depression. Some think it is a "normocalcaemic tetany"; others consider it "chronic hyperventilation syndrome." Typically with certain provoking procedures (e.g., limb ischemia, hyperventilation) in which case, obvious tetany develops. See: Trousseau's sign, Chvostek's sign, Erb sign. Synonym: crytotetany, spasmophilia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent typhoid | walking typhoid |
| latent virus | <virology> Virus integrated within host genome but inactive: may be reactivated by stress such as ultraviolet irradiation. (18 Nov 1997) |