Épais

Épais is a French adjective meaning thick or dense. It describes objects with substantial breadth or mass, or substances with high viscosity. The masculine singular is épais; the feminine singular épaisse; the masculine plural épais; the feminine plural épaisses. In ordinary use, it follows the noun: un mur épais, un livre épais, une forêt épaisse. It can also appear before the noun for emphasis in some literary contexts, but this is less common.

Épais is used for physical thickness as well as for the density of liquids or pastes: une soupe épaisse, une sauce épaisse, une pâte épaisse. It also describes atmospheric conditions: un brouillard épais, une fumée épaisse.

The related noun épaisseur means thickness or the measure of how thick something is. The adjective is versatile for tangible objects and for conveying density or solidity; for stressing lack of thickness or fineness, other terms such as fin or mince may be used.

Etymology: épais derives from Old French espais, épais, from Latin spissus meaning dense or thick. The word has maintained a consistent sense of weight and mass across centuries.

See also: dense, épaisseur, fin, mince.