What is the Latin word for fold?

The usual Latin words for “fold” are ovīle, stabulum, plicō; also rūga, sinus, Măcrŏbĭus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“fold” in Latin

ovīlea sheepfold stabulumdwelling, habitation; stall, stable; hut plicōto fold, bend or flex; to roll up rūgaa crease in the face, wrinkle; a crease, fold, plait, wrinkle, corrugation of any kind; a street sinusa bent surface; a curve, fold, hollow; a gulf, bay, bight; the chord of an arc; a sine Măcrŏbĭusa Roman grammarian at the end of the fourth century, author of a commentary on Cicero's CīmōnAn Athenian statesman and general, son of Miltiades replicōto turn, fold or bend back; to unroll (a scroll); to unwind (a rope, etc.)stabulōto stable, house (animals); to be stabled, to have a stall claudōto shut up, close, lock; to imprison, confine; to encompass, surround

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

fold s.

ovile: stabulum (general term for “stalls” for cattle; for sheep, Varr., R.R., 2, 5, p. 183, Bipont.): septa (Varr., ib.): crates pastorales (the hurdles).

Of a garment, plicatura, or (if there are many) plicaturae: ruga (PROP., a wrinkle of the skin; then, also, of a gown, etc.; fold, considered as a slight elevation): sinus (the space between the folds, the great fold or hollow made by the manner in which the ancients used to take up their toga with the left arm; Vid: Macrobius, Sat., 2, 9; hence Plin., 35, 8, 34, Cimon... in veste et rugas et sinus invenit). To hang down in folds, replicari in rugas: to arrange one’s dress in graceful folds, collocare vestem (chlamydem, etc.), ut apte pendeat (Ov.).

fold v.

To double up, complicare aliquid (to fold up; a letter, etc.): artare in rugas aliquid: rugas locare in aliqua re (to fold a garment, after Plin., 8, 10, 10; Macrobius, Sat. 2, 9): Anything is folded, replicatur in rugas (after Plin., 17, 14, 24): to fold back, replicare: to fold one’s hands, digitos inter se pectine nectere (Ov., Met., 9, 299); digitos pectinatim inter se implectere (Plin., 28, 6, 179). To sit with one s hands folded, palmas in alternas digitorum vicissitudines super genua connectere (Vid: Apul., Met., 3, p. 129, 34).

To fold sheep, stabulare (general term): includere septis (of sheep, Varr., R.R., 2, 5): claudere, with or without textis cratibus (Hor., Epod., 2, 45).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for fold?: The usual Latin words for “fold” are ovīle, stabulum, plicō; also rūga, sinus, Măcrŏbĭus. 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.