Main Entry:

dense

Pronunciation:

\ˈden(t)s\

Function:

adjective

Inflected Form(s):

dens·er; dens·est

Etymology:

Latin densus; akin to Greek dasys thick with hair or leaves

Date:

15th century

1 a: marked by compactness or crowding together of parts <dense vegetation> <dense traffic> b: having a high mass per unit volume <carbon dioxide is a dense gas>2 a: slow to understand : stupid, thickheaded <was too dense to get the joke> b: extreme <dense ignorance>3: having between any two elements at least one element <the set of rational numbers is dense>4: demanding concentration to follow or comprehend <dense prose>5: having high or relatively high opacity <a dense fog> <a dense photographic negative>

synonyms see stupid

— dense·ly adverb

— dense·ness \ˈden(t)-snəs\ noun