latin
n. uncountablen. the language used in ancient Rome. While people do not speak it as a first language today, it is still used in science, law, and the church.
n. the classical language of ancient Rome and its empire, belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European family. It served as the lingua franca of European scholarship and administration for centuries.
Many English words come from Latin roots.
The biology student had to memorize the Latin names for several different species of birds.
Although considered a dead language because it lacks native speakers, Latin remains the foundational vocabulary for legal and medical terminology across the Western world.
From Middle English Latyn, Latyne, Latin, from Old French latin, latyn, from Latin latīnus, from Latium (“the region around Rome”) + -īnus (adjective suffix). Displaced or merged with Old English Lǣden. Doublet of Ladin and Ladino.
From Middle English Latin, Latyn, from Old English Lǣden, from Vulgar Latin *ladinum (“Latin”) and Old French latin (“Latin”); all from Latin Latinus (“belonging to Latium”). Later influenced in form by the Latin word. Compare Dutch Latijn (“Latin”), German Latein (“Latin”), Swedish Latin (“Latin”).
Metonymic occupational surname for a Latinist, a clerk or keeper of Latin records, from Middle English Latyn. Compare Latimer.
When referring to the language, it is uncountable and always capitalized.