What is the Latin word for dam?

The usual Latin words for “dam” are māter, mōlēs, agger; also mātrīx, prōcrĕātrix, genitor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“dam” in Latin

mātermother (female parent); mother (source, origin); matron of a house mōlēsmultitude, mass (of material); size; rock, boulder, cliff, ridge, outcrop, knoll aggerearthwork, particularly defensive ramparts or bulwarks, dykes, dams, causeways, and piers; rubble or earth used or inten mātrīxuterus, womb; dam (non-human female animal kept for breeding); source, origin prōcrĕātrixshe that brings forth genitorparent, father, sire, begetter, procreator

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

dam

Of a person, mater; of a beast, matrix; procreatrix; genitrix (poetical).

For confining water, moles; agger; moles fluctibus opposita: to make a dam, molem, or aggerem, or molem et aggerem exstruere; molem or aggerem jacere.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for dam?: The usual Latin words for “dam” are māter, mōlēs, agger; also mātrīx, prōcrĕātrix, genitor. 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.