latex
noun
la·tex
| \ ˈlā-ˌteks
\
\
plural latices\ ˈlā-tə-ˌsēz
, ˈla- \
or latexes
, ˈla- \
or latexes
Definition of latex
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
Wearing purple latex gloves, safety glasses, and a white lab coat, 17-year-old Angel Muthemba dispensed a pipette filled with DNA into the ridge of a measuring device. — Alison Kuznitz, BostonGlobe.com, "Science in their DNA: Internship at Harvard affiliate inspires high school students," 21 Aug. 2019 As the light turned red, Gassaway put on a pair of the blue latex gloves Smith recently persuaded him to wear and grabbed two handfuls of bottles before heading into the rows of cars. — Washington Post, "At Dave Thomas Circle, fixing a traffic nightmare threatens a D.C. vending empire," 14 Aug. 2019 Among these objects are a latex glove, teeth, and dentures. — Maggie O'neill, Health.com, "This Man's Dentures Were Stuck in His Voice Box for 8 Days After a Routine Procedure," 13 Aug. 2019 Deputies in black latex gloves cut open one of the larger cushions, apparently in search of drugs, but appeared to find nothing of value or interest inside. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Suspected smuggling boat capsizes off Imperial Beach," 6 Aug. 2019 Her older sister, Helen, has found full packages of latex gloves and unopened Kleenex boxes in the trash at home. — Aimee Berg, New York Times, "The Boxing Champion Who Battles O.C.D.," 31 July 2019 That includes aspirin, bandages in multiple sizes, antibiotic creams, gauze, hand sanitizer, latex gloves, an emergency blanket, bug spray, thermometers, tweezers, and so on. — Leah Asmelash And Saeed Ahmed, CNN, "Everything you need to know to prepare for a natural disaster," 12 July 2019 Menstrual cups can last up to a decade because they are made of medical-grade silicone, rubber or latex. — Nina Avramova, CNN, "There's an effective, environmentally friendly option for people with periods, and few know about it, research says," 16 July 2019 What if Hollywood never stops asking its female leads to wriggle into unforgiving latex suits? — Vanessa Chow, Glamour, "Amber Heard Is Nobody’s Victim," 27 Nov. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'latex.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for latex
latex
noun
English Language Learners Definition of latex
: a white fluid produced by certain plants that is used for making rubber
also
: a similar material that is used for making various products (such as paint and glue)
See the full definition for latex in the English Language Learners Dictionary
latex
noun
la·tex
| \ ˈlā-ˌteks
\
\
Kids Definition of latex
1
: a milky plant juice that is the source of rubber
2
: a mixture of water and tiny particles of rubber or plastic used especially in paints
latex
noun
la·tex
| \ ˈlā-ˌteks
\
\
plural latices\ ˈlāt-ə-ˌsēz
, ˈlat-
\
or latexes
, ˈlat-
\
or latexes
Medical Definition of latex
: 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
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