What is the Latin word for dunce?

The usual Latin words for “dunce” are hebes, bārō, stīpō; also truncus, faenum. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“dunce” in Latin

hebesblunt, dull, not sharp or pointed; dim, faint, dull; tasteless, without smell, without sensation; dull, obtuse, sluggish bārōsimpleton, dunce, lout (a boorish and uneducated person)stīpōto crowd or press together, compress; to cram, stuff, fill; to surround, encompass truncustree trunk; a piece cut off; blockhead, dunce, dolt faenumhay; any dried plant; fenugreek

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

dunce

stupidus et tardus: hebes (ad intelligendum): baro (stupid, clod-like; baec cum loqueris, nos barones stupemus, Cic.): stipes, truncus (blockhead): foenum (Cic., De Or., 2, 57, 233) :aeque hebes ac pecus (Cic., Divin., 1, 22, extr. from a poet). He has sent away his pupils greater dunces by far than he received them, discipulos dimidio reddidit stultiores quam acceperat.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for dunce?: The usual Latin words for “dunce” are hebes, bārō, stīpō; also truncus, faenum. 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.