latex Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a milky exudate from certain plants that coagulates on exposure to air
  2. noun a water-base paint that has a latex binder
    rubber-base paint; latex paint.

WordNet


La"tex noun
Etymology
L.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A milky or colored juice in certain plants in cavities (called latex cells or latex tubes). It contains the peculiar principles of the plants, whether aromatic, bitter, or acid, and in many instances yields caoutchouc upon coagulation. produced_by ∧ contained_in latex cells,

Webster 1913