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Synonyms
Examples of dormancy in a Sentence
some volcanoes have eruptive cycles marked by long stretches of dormancy
a fighting force that could be roused instantly from dormancy to action
Recent Examples on the Web
Tucked in the heavily forested northeastern reaches of California, Shasta County was named for Mount Shasta, a volcano known to erupt in bursts of activity followed by thousands of years of dormancy.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 25 June 2024
After a period of dormancy during World War II, the group came back together and ultimately relocated to Chicago, becoming the Chicago Outlaws in the 1950s, about a decade before Lyon started tagging along.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2024
Under these forms of stress, tardigrades curl up into a temporary, protective state of dormancy called a tun.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 17 Jan. 2024
From the time our lawns wake up from dormancy until June, the grass is primarily self-sufficient.
—Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 8 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for dormancy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dormancy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1789, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near dormancy
Cite this Entry
“Dormancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dormancy. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
dormancy
noun
dor·man·cy
ˈdȯr-mən-sē
: the quality or state of being dormant
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