density
noun
den·si·ty
ˈden(t)-sə-tē
plural densities
1
: the quality or state of being dense
measures of traffic density
the density of the cake
felt that the candidate's density on the subject of equality was alarming
the density of her prose
2
mathematics
: the quantity per unit of volume (see volume entry 1 sense 2), unit of area (see area sense 1), or unit of length: such as
a
chemistry
: the mass (see mass entry 2 sense 1c) of a substance per unit of volume
pure iron has a density of 7.8 grams per cubic centimeter
b
chemistry
: the distribution of a quantity (such as electricity or energy) per unit usually of space (such as length, area, or volume)
The drawback to using ethanol as a complete replacement for gasoline, however, is not only the high cost of its production from cellulose but also its lower energy density.—John R. Regalbuto
c
: the average number of individuals or units per unit of space
a population density of 500 per square mile
a housing density of 10 houses per acre
3
physics
a
: the degree of opacity (see opacity sense 2) of a translucent medium
the fog's density
b
: the common logarithm of the opacity
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share