What is the Latin word for den?

The usual Latin words for “den” are cavus, caverna, spēlunca; also specus, spēlaeum, latibulum. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“den” in Latin

cavushollow, hollowed out, cavernous, concave; excavated, channeled; vain, empty cavernaa hollow, cavity, cave, cavern, grotto, hole spēluncacave; cavern; chasm; grotto; den specuscave, grotto; ditch, canal, drain; pit spēlaeumcave, cavern; den latibulumhiding place, refuge; den (of animals)lūstrōto purify by means of a propitiatory sacrifice; to circle, move in a circle around. (because the priest offering such sa

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

den

cavum (general term for any hole): caverna: spelunca. specus: and (poetically) spelaeum [SYN. in CAVERN]: latibulum (hiding-place of wild-beasts, etc.): lustra, plur. (dens of wild-beasts, ferarum in the poets; in prose-writers,” dens” for debauchery and other deeds of darkness): cublle (general term for sleeping-place; den, lair, etc.): to hide themselves in dens, latibulis se tegere; in cubilibus delitescere.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for den?: The usual Latin words for “den” are cavus, caverna, spēlunca; also specus, spēlaeum, latibulum. 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.