/
ˈleɪtɛks/
n.
(pl. latexes or latices
/-tɪsiːz/
)
- a milky fluid found in many plants, notably the rubber tree, which coagulates on exposure to the air.
- a synthetic product resembling this, used to make paints, coatings, etc.
Etymology
C17 (denoting various bodily fluids): from L., lit. ‘liquid, fluid’.