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:
He took the same relaxed view about his latex puppet in the satirical series, Spitting Image, which mocked his slight speech impediment and sprayed saliva when it spoke.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 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
Costs have been affected "across the board", including the price of condom material nitrile latex and natural rubber.
From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026
A University of Michigan study suggests that the nitrile and latex gloves scientists commonly use could be causing microplastics levels to appear higher than they actually are.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 29, 2026
I nod, and Dr. Han opens her bag and reaches for a pair of latex gloves.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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
"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
“Yellow Latex” Streaks.—This appearance of “yellow-latex” streaks in not common, and may be accounted for by incomplete mixture of two different latices.
From The Preparation of Plantation Rubber by Sidney Morgan
It is inevitable that the manipulation of the latices should be slightly in error on occasions, or that a small mistake might occur in preparing the solution of acid.
From The Preparation of Plantation Rubber by Sidney Morgan
It will be obvious that, given two equal quantities of different latices, different amounts of an anti-coagulant may be required to produce the same effect.
From The Preparation of Plantation Rubber by Sidney Morgan
In those days methods and formulæ were rather haphazard, especially in view of the fact that the daily variability of dry rubber content of latices was not then recognised.
From The Preparation of Plantation Rubber by Sidney Morgan
And according to Columella, the Horehound is a serviceable remedy against the Cankerworm in trees: Profuit et plantis latices infundere amaros marrubii.
From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by William Thomas Fernie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
