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Density Definition, Usage & Key Examples (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：compactness (density)
density
/ˈdensəti/
n.
How compact or heavy something is for its size. If something has a lot of material packed into a small space, it has high density.
compactness
➕
/kəmˈpæktnəs/
n.
Density refers to the mass of an object per unit volume; high density indicates more material packed into a smaller space, while low density means less material in the same volume.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
Derived from Latin 'densus' meaning 'thick' or 'dense', with the suffix '-ity' indicating a state or quality.
💡 Mnemonic
Think of 'dense' as in a dense forest where trees are packed closely; 'density' measures how tightly things are packed together.
📖 Example
Honey has a much higher density than water, which is why a spoonful of honey sinks straight to the bottom of your tea.
This example demonstrates that honey is denser than water, causing it to sink when added to tea.
🔗 Collocations
high density – having a large amount of mass in a small volume
density measurement – the process of determining how compact a substance is
🔄 Synonyms
compactness (n.) – the quality of being closely packed together
🚫 Antonyms
sparseness (n.) – the quality of being thinly dispersed or scattered
🌱 Derivatives
dense (adj.) – having parts that are closely compacted together
📖 Cultural Story
The term 'density' originates from the Latin word 'densus', meaning thick or compact. It entered English in the 17th century via French, initially used in scientific contexts to describe material compactness. Today, it is widely applied in physics, urban planning, and data analysis to quantify concentration per unit area or volume.
Meaning 2：crowdedness (density)
density
/ˈdensəti/
n.
The number of people or things in a specific area. It tells you how crowded a place is.
crowdedness
➕
/ˈkraʊdɪdnəs/
n.
Density describes the number of people, objects, or occurrences per unit area, indicating how concentrated or crowded a place or situation is.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
In big cities like Tokyo, the population density is extremely high, with apartment buildings reaching up into the sky to house everyone.
This example illustrates the high concentration of residents in Tokyo, requiring tall buildings for accommodation.
🔗 Collocations
population density – the number of inhabitants per unit area, such as per square kilometer
urban density – the concentration of buildings and people in a city environment
🔄 Synonyms
concentration (n.) – a large number of things or people gathered in a specific area
🚫 Antonyms
sparseness (n.) – a low number of things or people spread over a wide area
🌱 Derivatives
densify (v.) – to make an area more crowded or concentrated
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