density

[den-si-tee] /ˈdɛn sɪ ti/
noun, plural densities.
1.
the state or quality of being dense; compactness; closely set or crowded condition.
2.
stupidity; slow-wittedness; obtuseness.
3.
the number of inhabitants, dwellings, or the like, per unit area:
The commissioner noted that the population density of certain city blocks had fallen dramatically.
4.
Physics. mass per unit volume.
5.
Electricity.
  1. the quantity of electricity per unit of volume at a point in space, or the quantity per unit of area at a point on a surface.
  2. current density.
6.
the degree of opacity of a substance, medium, etc., that transmits light.
7.
Photography. the relative degree of opacity of an area of a negative or transparency, often expressed logarithmically.
8.
Computers. a measure of the compactness of data stored on an external storage medium, as disk or tape, or displayed on a CRT or other screen.
Origin
1595-1605; < Latin dēnsitās, equivalent to dēns(us) dense + -itās -ity
Related forms
nondensity, noun
superdensity, noun
Examples from the web for density
  • The idea of greater density on college campuses almost always meets with opposition.
  • Various investigators have shown that sound frequencies in this range can improve bone density and promote healing.
  • Instead, it is a measurement used by brewers to track the density of certain ingredients.
  • Diesel fuel is heavier, less refined, and has a higher "energy density" than gasoline.
  • But the sheer density of outlandish behavior and credibility-stretching hijinks can, at times, be exhausting.
  • These forests are largely intact because of low population density and poor accessibility.
  • Scanned images on the screen have a density of detail that escapes the eye on the printed page.
  • Ordinarily the density of the atmosphere gradually decreases.
  • The cholesterol in low-density lipoproteins was deemed a “marginal risk .
  • Adjusting the proportion of chocolate and cream changes the density of the finished product.
British Dictionary definitions for density

density

/ˈdɛnsɪtɪ/
noun (pl) -ties
1.
the degree to which something is filled, crowded, or occupied: high density of building in towns
2.
obtuseness; stupidity
3.
a measure of the compactness of a substance, expressed as its mass per unit volume. It is measured in kilograms per cubic metre or pounds per cubic foot ρ See also relative density
4.
a measure of a physical quantity per unit of length, area, or volume See charge density, current density
5.
(physics, photog) See transmission density, reflection density
Word Origin and History for density
n.

c.1600, from French densité (16c.), from Old French dempsité (13c.), from Latin densitas "thickness," from densus "thick, dense" (see dense).

density in Medicine

density den·si·ty (děn'sĭ-tē)
n.

  1. The mass per unit volume of a substance at a specified pressure and temperature.

  2. The quantity of something per unit measure, especially per unit length, area, or volume.

density in Science
density
  (děn'sĭ-tē)   
A measure of the quantity of some physical property (usually mass) per unit length, area, or volume (usually volume). ◇ Mass density is a measure of the mass of a substance per unit volume. Most substances (especially gases such as air) increase in density as their pressure is increases or as their temperature decreases. ◇ Energy density is a measure of the amount of energy (often in the form of electromagnetic radiation) per unit volume in a region of space or some material. See also Boyle's law.
density in Culture

density definition


The relative heaviness of objects, measured in units of mass or weight per units of volume. (See specific gravity.)