What does latex mean?
Latex is the liquid form of rubber or a similar synthetic polymer before it is solidified into a flexible material. Natural latex is obtained as milky sap from rubber trees, while synthetic latex is produced chemically; both can be processed into gloves, catheters, tubing, elastic thread, coatings, and paint. The familiar word therefore refers both to the original plant fluid and to the material made from it, with medical uses especially prominent in British and American English. In medicine, latex commonly denotes rubber latex and products made from it, including examination gloves, while synthetic latex identifies alternatives made without natural rubber. The term matters in practical contexts: many people have latex allergies, and products may be labelled as latex-free when they contain no natural rubber latex. Although often treated as synonymous with rubber in general contexts, latex more precisely describes a polymer dispersion or the fluid sap from which rubber is derived.
nounA liquid polymer dispersion, either natural or synthetic, that can be processed into elastic or flexible materials and products. The word can also denote the milky sap produced by certain plants, especially rubber trees.
- A liquid dispersion of natural or synthetic polymer particles used to manufacture flexible materials and products.
- The milky sap or other fluid naturally produced by certain plants, especially rubber trees.
- Material or a product made from rubber latex, especially gloves, catheters, and other medical equipment.
"The manufacturer used latex to produce durable, lightweight examination gloves."
"The manufacturer tested the latex to ensure that it would withstand repeated sterilization."
"A small quantity of latex from the rubber tree is collected for processing."
Rare in ordinary prose but standard in technical descriptions of distinct latex samples or formulations.
"The laboratory compared the stability of several natural-rubber latices."
The word now associated with gloves and other rubber products once described the milky sap tapped from a rubber tree.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does latex come from?
The word entered English from Latin latex, meaning “liquid” or “fluid,” which was borrowed from Ancient Greek lás, likewise referring to a liquid. Its use for plant sap and then for rubber-like materials developed from this original sense of a flowing substance. English later adopted the related botanical terms laticifer and laticiferous, derived from the same Latin stem.
Related word forms
How latex is actually used
Latex is normally an uncountable mass noun. In technical materials science and botany, the plural latices may refer to distinct samples or formulations; latexes also occurs. In medical contexts, latex commonly refers to natural rubber latex or products made from it, while synthetic latex denotes alternatives made without natural rubber.