dor·mant / ˈdôrmənt/ • adj. (of an animal) having normal physical functions suspended or slowed down for a period of time; in or as if in a deep sleep: dormant butterflies | fig. the event evoked memories that she would rather had lain dormant. ∎  (of a plant or bud) alive but not actively growing. ∎  (of a volcano) temporarily inactive. ∎  (of a disease) causing no symptoms but not cured and liable to recur. ∎  Heraldry (of an animal) depicted lying with its head on its paws. DERIVATIVES: dor·man·cy n.

dormant (hist.) fixed, stationary XIV; sleeping; inactive, quiescent XVI. — (O)F. dormant, prp. of dormir :- L. dormīre sleep, rel. to OSl. drēmati (Russ. dremát' slumber), and further to Skr. drā́ti, drā́yati sleeps, Gr. édrathon I slept.
So dormer projecting vertical window in a sloping roof (orig. dormitory window). XVI. — OF. dormeor. dormitory XV. — L. dormītōrium, sb. use of n. of dormītōrius, f. dormīt-, pp. stem of dormīre sleep. dorter, dortour (hist.) dormitory (e.g. of a monastery). XIII. — OF. dortour (mod. dortoir) :- L. dormītōrium.

DORMANT

Latent; inactive; silent. That which is dormant is not used, asserted, or enforced.

A dormant partner is a member of a partnership who has a financial interest yet is silent, in that he or she takes no control over the business. The partner's identity is secret because the individual is unknown to the public.