That old dog was dormant for so long he was confused for a furry doormat, but a doormat is likely to stay dormant, or inactive, because it is lifeless: that old dog has some life in him yet.

Pronunciation: /'dɔrmənt/
English Description: not active physically or mentally
Chinese Translation: 休眠的(xiu1 mian2 de)
Spanish Translation: latente
STORY: Volcanoes are described as dormant when they stay cool for a long time, without spewing hot lava and ash. They may have the ability to come to life, but they remain dormant, or inactive. Dormant comes from French dormir, "to sleep," and it refers to living things that are on a break rather than things that have died. Being dormant is being temporarily at rest, although sometimes, as with some cancer cells, things become permanently — and thankfully — dormant.

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:

As such, leaders risk losing their most innovative and talented minds as they lie dormant and grow increasingly frustrated.
The key to growing blueberries is having a cool winter for the plants to go dormant, he said.

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