a milky exudate from certain plants that coagulates on exposure to air
"The rubber tree sap oozed out as a white latex when we cut into its bark, then hardened instantly upon contact with the summer air."
a water-base paint that has a latex binder
"The contractor mixed fresh latex into the bucket before painting the nursery walls, ensuring the water-based formula dried quickly without strong fumes."
A clear liquid believed to be a component of a humour or other bodily fluid (esp. plasma and lymph)
"The ancient physician described latex as a clear, colorless serum that he believed flowed through the body's vessels alongside blood and milk."
In plain English: Latex is a sticky, milky liquid found inside certain plants that hardens into rubber when it dries out.
"The nurse put on a latex glove before taking my blood pressure."
Usage: In everyday usage, latex refers to a milky white sap found in plants like rubber trees that is processed into elastic materials such as gloves and balloons. Do not confuse this with the medical definition of a clear bodily fluid, which is rarely used outside of historical or specific scientific contexts.
A digital typesetting system for mathematical and scientific formulae layout; based on TeX.
"The professor asked me to compile the appendix in latex so that all of our complex equations would render correctly in the final thesis."
The word "latex" comes from New Latin, where it originally meant clear bodily fluid or water. Its ultimate origin likely traces back to Ancient Greek for a drop of wine, though the shift in meaning remains mysterious.