latex

[ ley-teks ]
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noun,plural lat·i·ces [lat-uh-seez], /ˈlæt əˌsiz/, la·tex·es.
  1. a milky liquid in certain plants, as milkweeds, euphorbias, poppies, or the plants yielding India rubber, that coagulates on exposure to air.

  2. Chemistry. any emulsion in water of finely divided particles of synthetic rubber or plastic.

Origin of latex

1
1655–65; <New Latin, special use of Latin latex water, juice, liquid

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British Dictionary definitions for latex

latex

/ (ˈleɪtɛks) /


nounplural latexes or latices (ˈlætɪˌsiːz)
  1. 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

  2. a suspension of synthetic rubber or plastic in water, used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber products, etc

Origin of latex

1
C19: New Latin, from Latin: liquid, fluid

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for latex

latex

[ tĕks′ ]


  1. 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.

  2. 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.

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