What is the Latin word for curly?

The usual Latin words for “curly” are crispus, capillus, cincinnātus; also calamistrātus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“curly” in Latin

crispuscurly; crimped (of hair); tremulous capillusa single hair; hair (plurally); a head of hair: locks, tresses cincinnātushaving curly hair or ringlets; of comets calamistrātuscurled with a curling iron

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

curly

crispus (e.g., capillus). A man with curly hair, cincinnatus (naturally): calamistratus (with the curling- irons).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for curly?: The usual Latin words for “curly” are crispus, capillus, cincinnātus; also calamistrātus. 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.