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qui·es·cent

(kwē-ĕsənt, kwī-)

adj.

1. Quiet, still, or inactive. See Synonyms at inactive.

2. Characterized by an absence of upheaval or discord: "We tend to think of the decades following the final overthrow of Napoleon as remarkably quiescent" (Walter McDougall).

3. Astronomy Having little or no sunspot activity.

4. Medicine Asymptomatic: a quiescent infection.

[Latin quiēscēns, quiēscent-, present participle of quiēscere, to rest, from quiēs, quiet; see QUIET.]

qui·escence n.

qui·escent·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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