What is the Latin word for hole?

The usual Latin words for “hole” are forāmen, cavus, rīma; also findō, lacūna, lūmen. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“hole” in Latin

forāmenan opening or aperture produced by boring; a hole; an opening, hole, cave cavushollow, hollowed out, cavernous, concave; excavated, channeled; vain, empty rīmaa cleft, crack, fissure, chink; the vulva, female genitalia findōto cleave, break up, separate, divide, split, part; to split, burst; to divide lacūnaa hole, pit, ditch; (especially) a pool, pond; a gap, void, defect, want, loss lūmenlight, source of light; the eyes; daylight fenestraa window, an opening for light; a breach; a loophole, an arrowslit vulnuswound, injury; blow; incision gurgustiumhut, hovel; a hole-in-the-wall, dark and obscure place perforōto bore or pierce through; to perforate; to penetrate

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

hole

foramen (any larger or smaller opening bored with a round instrument tapering to a point): cavum (a hole hollowed out in the ground, in a wall, etc.; e.g., a mouse-hole, lion’s den, etc.): rima (a chink): fissura (a cleft, greater crack or chink, perhaps also for a hole in a garment, for which Juv., 3, 150, poetically uses vulnus): lacuna (a gap, space not filled up; e.g., in a pavement): lumen (the opening of a window, of a door, as opposed to the drapery): fenestra (the opening of a window, as opposed to a window-shutter): vulnus (a wound): gurgustium (a wretched dwelling). That has a hole, perforatus (bored through); fissus (cleft, slit up): full of holes, laceratus (tattered, of garments, etc.); foraminosus (full of bored openings; late); rimosus (full of chinks); cribratus (full of holes like a sieve); rarus (porous, like a sponge).

To bore a hole, forare (general term, to make a hole in anything): perforare (to make a hole through anything, to bore through): terebrare (to bore with a gimlet or other such instrument): to bore a hole, foramen terebrare or terebra cavare.

Hole to creep out of (IMPROP.), rima aliqua (e.g., rimam aliquam reperire, Plaut.). Vid: EXCUSE.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for hole?: The usual Latin words for “hole” are forāmen, cavus, rīma; also findō, lacūna, lūmen. 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.