latex
Americannoun
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latices,
plural
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latexes
plural
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a milky liquid in certain plants, as milkweeds, euphorbias, poppies, or the plants yielding India rubber, that coagulates on exposure to air.
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Chemistry. any emulsion in water of finely divided particles of synthetic rubber or plastic.
noun
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a whitish milky fluid containing protein, starch, alkaloids, etc, that is produced by many plants. Latex from the rubber tree is used in the manufacture of rubber
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a suspension of synthetic rubber or plastic in water, used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber products, etc
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The colorless or milky sap of certain trees and plants, such as the milkweed and the rubber tree, that hardens when exposed to the air. Latex usually contains gum resins, waxes, and oils, and sometimes toxic substances.
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A manufactured emulsion of synthetic rubber or plastic droplets in water that resembles the latex of plants. It is used in paints, adhesives, and synthetic rubber products.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of latex
1655–65; < New Latin, special use of Latin latex water, juice, liquid
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Curry pressed a bewitching soulfulness through all those layers of spirit gum and latex.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
"In order to turn the natural latex into something that we refer to as rubber it goes through this process called sulphur vulcanisation," she explained.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
When forensic experts climbed on board, wearing white hazmat suits and blue latex gloves, they found that the evidence inside was almost entirely unspoiled, according to German investigators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Karex relies on materials derived from oil, including ammonia - which is used to preserve latex - and silicone-based lubricants.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
She hands Axel a pair of latex gloves and slides into her own.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
"The system could potentially be used in all areas where latexes are used, such as films, coatings, supports for diagnostics, and more," Lacôte says.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2023
Short-wavelength radiation is scattered when the particle size becomes close to the radiation wavelength, making latexes with particle sizes larger than the incoming wavelengths difficult to produce.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2023
As a result, for the first time, the team were able to use light to produce polystyrene latexes with particle sizes greater than one micrometer and with highly uniform diameters.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2023
Whatever may be the practice elsewhere, it is now fairly general on estates in Malaya to reduce all latices to a uniform “strength” for the preparation of sheet rubber.
From The Preparation of Plantation Rubber by Sidney Morgan
These latices are always diluted to a uniform standard daily.
From The Preparation of Plantation Rubber by Sidney Morgan
Like the holy river of Virgil, to the souls who drink of him, Herrick offers 'securos latices.'
From A selection from the lyrical poems of Robert Herrick by Francis Turner Palgrave
Obviously, in such a case, there must be an initial difference between the two latices as regards the percentage of proteins present; or there must be some small unrecognised difference at some stage of working.
From The Preparation of Plantation Rubber by Sidney Morgan
Owing probably to variations in the composition of the latices, or to the extent of infection by organisms, coagulation may one day be complete and on other days less satisfactory.
From The Preparation of Plantation Rubber by Sidney Morgan
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