Main Entry: la·tex

Pronunciation: \ˈlā-ˌteks\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural la·ti·ces \ˈlāt-ə-ˌsēz, ˈlat-\ or la·tex·es

: 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