dormancy

Everyday

1. A time when a living thing is alive but not active or growing, as in seeds waiting to sprout or animals hibernating. tree →
2. A time when a volcano or other thing is quiet but could become active again. tree →

In the lessons

In science, seeds stay in dormancy until there is water and warmth; trees are dormant in winter; some animals hibernate. In geography, a volcano in dormancy has not erupted for a long time but may erupt again. Phrases: «period of dormancy», «break dormancy».

Examples

• The seeds stayed in dormancy until the spring rain. tree →
• Trees lose their leaves and enter dormancy in winter. tree →
• The volcano woke up after centuries of dormancy. tree →
• Bears are in a kind of dormancy during winter. tree →
• Cold weather helps some bulbs break their dormancy. tree →
• After years of dormancy, the old club started meeting again. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Adjective: dormant. Comes from French «dormir», to sleep. A dormant volcano is not the same as an extinct one: extinct means it is not expected to erupt again.