English → Latin
“cavern” in Latin
cavernaa hollow, cavity, cave, cavern, grotto, holespecuscave, grotto; ditch, canal, drain; pitspēluncacave; cavern; chasm; grotto; denspēlaeumcave, cavern; dencavushollow, hollowed out, cavernous, concave; excavated, channeled; vain, empty
The English word cavern itself goes back to Latin cavus, through caverna.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
cavern
caverna (a hole with a round opening): specus (with a long opening; a cleft): spelunca (a dark and formidable cavity): spelaeum (only in poets: den of wild beasts): cavum (cavity, as a general term). A subterraneous cavern, specus subterraneus.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for cavern?
- The usual Latin words for “cavern” are caverna, specus, spēlunca; also spēlaeum, cavus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.