latex

noun

la·​tex ˈlā-ˌteks 

plural latices ˈlā-tə-ˌsēz  ˈla-  or latexes

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 (such as paint) and adhesives

Examples of latex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jennifer Lawrence and Kylie Jenner both rubber-stamped the non-shoe this year, Lawrence in a nude mesh sock-shoe from The Row and Jenner with a semi-sheer nude latex Couregès heel. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 30 Dec. 2024

In 2017, then State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman indicted Newman on 58 counts, following a two-year investigation nicknamed Operation Vandelay Industries, a nod to George Costanza’s fake latex company on Seinfeld. —Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 25 Dec. 2024

Halsey wore a pink latex minidress with white knee socks and pointy-toe black pumps, while her fiancé Avan Jogia wore a leather harness. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024

The Nora hybrid medium memory foam mattress has a high-density support foam and latex layers that give the perfect balance of support and pressure relief for your body. —Christopher Murray, Fox News, 14 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin latic-, latex, from Latin, fluid

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

latex

noun

la·​tex ˈlā-ˌteks 

plural latices ˈlāt-ə-ˌsēz 

ˈlat-

or latexes

1

: a milky juice produced by the cells of various plants (as milkweeds, poppies, and the rubber tree)

2

: a mixture of water and fine particles of rubber or plastic used especially in paints and adhesives

Medical Definition

latex

noun

la·​tex ˈlā-ˌteks 

plural latices ˈlāt-ə-ˌsēz  ˈlat-  or latexes

: 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