What is the Latin word for dense?

The usual Latin words for “dense” are dēnsus, condēnsus, spissus; also solidus, cōnferciō, artus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“dense” in Latin

dēnsusdense, compact; crowded, close; frequent condēnsusvery dense; crowded, packed spissusthick, close, compact, dense, crowded; slow, tardy, late; hard, difficult solidusdense, solid, not hollow; whole, entire, thorough, full; firm cōnferciōto fill completely, stuff full of artusnarrow; close; fitted; confined; dense; severe; strict; scanty; brief perviushaving a passage through; passable, penetrable, traversable

The English word dense itself goes back to Latin dēnsus.

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

dense

densus; condensus (consisting of parts closely compacted together, opposed to rarus): spissus (consisting of parts so closely compacted, that there is scarcely any perceptible space between them; almost impenetrable, almost opaque, opposed to solutus): solidus (consisting of solid masses, opposed to cassus, pervius): confertus (completely filled up, opposed to rarus): arctior or artior (consisting of parts tightly braced together): a dense wood, silva densa; silva arctior: a dense fog, nebula densa: dense air, aer crassus or crassior: a dense battle-array, acies condensa, conferta: to fight in dense masses, confertim pugnare; to make dense, densare; condensare; spissare; conspissare; solidare: to become dense, densari (and the passives of the other verbs, given above); spissescere solidescere.

Stupid; Vid: DENSELY, dense; spisse; solide; confertim; arctius: densely planted with trees, condensus arboribus; crebris condensus arboribus: to draw up the soldiers in dense masses, milites constipare, condensare; arctius collocare. Vid: THICK.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for dense?: The usual Latin words for “dense” are dēnsus, condēnsus, spissus; also solidus, cōnferciō, artus. 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.