LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
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“depth” in Latin

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

depth
altitudo (depth, as a quality): profunditas (depth, as a property; though not used by ancient writers, it is analogically formed, and may be retained wherever perspicuity requires it): profundum: altum (depths of the sea; hardly, except where mare, locus, etc. can be supplied; e.g., jecissem me potius in profundum, sc. mare, into the depths of the sea): vorago (an abyss): latitudo (horizontal depth from face to back; breadth, opposed to longitudo): vocis genus grave (depth of voice or sound): recessus (that which retires back; e.g., recessus oris, etc.): depths, loca in mirandam altitudinem depressa: the depths of a forest, silvarum profunda (Tac.): the depth of the stream, altitudo fluminis: the immense depth (of a river), profunda altitudo (Tac.): the depth of the sea, altitudo maris (as a property); profundum maris (the bottom of the sea): to cast one’s self into the depths of the sea, praecipitare (without design); se jacere in profundum (with design): to be out of one’s depth, in profundo esse; solo or vado fugiente destitui aliquem vadum destituit (Liv. 21, 28): to be afraid of getting out of one’s depth, timere altitudinem (Liv. 21, 28): the house is thirty feet in depth, domus triginta pedes in latitudinem exstructa est; domus triginta pedes lata est.
Depth of character, altitudo ingenii; of soul, altitudo animi (βαθύτης; Vid: Beier, Cic., Off., 1, 25, 88): the depth of the Divine wisdom, summa Dei sapientia. ☞ Neither profunditas, nor profundum, nor altitudo can be used for “depth of learning,” “depth of intellect,” etc.; but either subtilitas or acumen ingenii, or circumlocution, ingenium subtile; litterae non vulgares, sed interiores quaedam et reconditae, etc.
Middle; in the depth of the night, media nocte: the depth of winter, summa hiems: it was the depth of winter, the weather being very cold and rainy, erat hiems summa, tempestas perfrigida, imber maximus (Cic.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for depth?
The usual Latin words for “depth” are altitūdō, profunditās, profundus; also altus, vorāgō, lātitūdō. 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.