noun
latex
LAY-tehks
noun
1
The milky fluid produced by certain plants, especially rubber trees, that hardens on contact with air and is used to make rubber.
"Workers collect latex from rubber trees by cutting into the bark."
2
A synthetic or natural rubber material used in gloves, paint, and other products.
"The nurse put on a pair of latex gloves."
"The wall was painted with a latex paint that dried quickly."
How to Use Latex
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA milky plant fluid, or the rubbery material made from it (and similar synthetics).
Common mistake
Don't confuse with LaTeX, the typesetting software — same spelling family, totally different thing (and pronounced differently: "lay-tech" or "lah-tech").
Common pairings
latex gloves
latex paint
latex allergy
Word Forms
latices plural, latexes plural
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Workers collect _____ from rubber trees by cutting into the bark.
Etymology
From New Latin latex, itself from an earlier Latin word for "liquid" or "fluid".