latex

la·tex

noun \ˈlā-ˌteks\

plural la·ti·ces \ˈlā-tə-ˌsēz, ˈla-\ or la·tex·es

Definition of LATEX

1

: a milky usually white fluid that is produced by cells of various seed plants (as of the milkweed, spurge, and poppy families) and is the source of rubber, gutta-percha, chicle, and balata

2

: a water emulsion of a synthetic rubber or plastic obtained by polymerization and used especially in coatings (as paint) and adhesives

Origin of LATEX

New Latin latic-, latex, from Latin, fluid

First Known Use: 1835

Rhymes with LATEX

annex, apex, codex, complex, convex, cortex, culex, desex, duplex, DX, fourplex, ibex, ilex, index, Kleenex, mirex, murex, MX, narthex, perplex, Perspex, phone sex, pollex, Pyrex, reflex, Rx, safe sex, scolex, silex, silvex, simplex, spandex, telex, Tex-Mex, triplex, unsex, vertex, vortex

la·tex

noun \ˈlā-ˌteks\   (Medical Dictionary)

plural ; la·ti·ces \ˈlāt-ə-ˌsēz, ˈlat-\ (audio pronunciation) (audio pronunciation)or ; la·tex·es

Medical Definition of LATEX

: a milky usually white fluid that is usually made up of various gum resins, fats, or waxes and often a complex mixture of other substances frequently including poisonous compounds, is produced by cells of various seed plants (as of the milkweed, spurge, and poppy families), and is the source of rubber, gutta-percha, chicle, and balata

latex

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any of several natural or synthetic colloidal suspensions (see colloid). Some latexes occur naturally in the cells of plants such as chicle and rubber trees. They are complex mixtures of organic compounds, including various gum resins, fats, or waxes and, in some instances, poisonous compounds, suspended in a watery medium with dissolved salts, sugars, tannins, alkaloids, enzymes, and other substances from which the latex (or natural rubber, the only available rubber until 1926) can be concentrated, coagulated, and vulcanized. Synthetic latexes (e.g., neoprene), made by emulsion polymerization from styrene-butadiene copolymer, acrylate resins, polyvinyl acetate, or other materials, are used as paints and coatings; the plastic, dispersed in the water, forms films by fusion as the water evaporates.