noun
latex
LAY-teks/ˈleɪteks/
A milky dispersion of polymer particles in liquid.
Milky latex flows from the rubber tree's bark cut into the collection cup.
Etymology
Latin latex meant liquid generally. English first used it for bodily fluid, then for the milky fluid of plants—the sense associated with rubber production.
In context
This latex is either clear, colored or white and milky, like the latex of the opium poppy.
More examples
- Milky latex drips from the cut in the rubber tree.
- This water-based paint contains synthetic latex.
- The latex forms a flexible film as it dries.
Similar words
- dispersion
- Dispersion also covers particles distributed through gases or solids.
- suspension
- Suspension often describes larger particles that settle out over time.