What is the Latin word for sand?

The usual Latin words for “sand” are harēna, glārea, saburra; also sabulō, harēnōsus, sabulōsus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“sand” in Latin

harēnasand; slime; mud glāreagravel saburragrit, sand sabulōcoarse sand, gravel harēnōsuscontaining or full of sand, sandy, arenaceous sabulōsussandy, gravelly syrtissandbank, sand bar, quicksand pulvīnusa cushion, pillow, bolster to sit or lie upon; a seat of honor sternōto spread, stretch out, spread out; to calm, still, moderate; to cover, spread with, scatter with, bestrew with, besprin

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

sand s.

arena (general term). Coarse sand, glarea (gravel): saburra (for ballast): sabulum: sabulo (such as is mixed with earth or lime: ☞ vegetables grow in sabulum, but not in arena): pulvis scriptorius (used in writing): full of sand, arenosus: sabulosus: a sand-pit, arenaria; specus egestae arenae (Suet., Ner., 48): a sand-bank, syrtis or (in pure Latin) pulvinus (Serv. ad Aen. 10, 303): to be left on the sands, aestu destitui (Curt.): to build on the sand (figuratively), non certa spe niti; non firmo fundamento niti; alicujus rei fundamenta sua tamquam in aqua ponere (Cic., Fin., 2, 22, 72): consisting of sand, arenaceus: a grain of sand, granum or mica arenae.

sand v.

i. e., to strew or cover with sand, *arena, glarea, sternere, conspergere aliquid.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for sand?: The usual Latin words for “sand” are harēna, glārea, saburra; also sabulō, harēnōsus, sabulōsus. 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.