English → Latin
“thin” in Latin
tenuisthin, slender, slim, lank; especially; fine, rare, thin; pure, clear, not coarse; weak, feeble, tenuoussubtīlisfine, thin, slender; precise, accurate, keen; plain, unadorned, simpleterōto rub or triturate; to wear away or wear out, consume; to treadatterōto wear away, rub away; to grind; to chafegracilisslender, slim, thin; meager, scanty, lean; unadorned, simpleexīlissmall, thin, slender; lank, meagre, feeble, inadequate; of the sound l, palatalizedmacerlean, skinny, meager; thin, poorrārusscattered; far apart; seldom; few; rare; uncommonangustusnarrow, close, contracted, constricted, confined, small, not spacious; narrow, strait; short, briefliquidusliquid, fluid, flowing; clear, transparent, limpid; without interruption, smooth, fluid, flowing
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
thin adj.
tenuis (the proper word, not thick; opposed to crassus): subtilis (fine, tender): tritus: attritus (worn thin): gracilis: exilis: macer (lean; opposed to obesus): rarus (not close together; opposed to densus): angustus (narrow, small in the opening; e.g., the neck of a vessel; opposed to latus): liquidus (watery): dilutus (mixed with liquids, made thin; e.g., wine, colors). Very thin, praetenuis; pertenuis: to grow or become thin, macrescere; rarescere liquescere.
thin v.
tenuare: extenuare (PROP.): attenuare (PROP. and figuratively): emaciare: liquefacere: diluere: minuere: absumere: consumere (figuratively, to lessen, consume, etc). To thin trees, etc., collucare (thoroughly); interlucare (here and there); intervellere (to cut off branches here and there; ☞ not sublegere in this sense).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for thin?
- The usual Latin words for “thin” are tenuis, subtīlis, terō; also atterō, gracilis, exīlis. 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.