Meanings
latex1
plural latices · plural latexes
- countableuncountableAn emulsion of rubber in water, used in adhesives and the like.
- countableuncountableNatural latex rubber, especially nonvulcanized rubber, such as is used in making latex gloves, latex condoms, and latex clothing.
LaTeX2
- computer languagesA digital typesetting system for mathematical and scientific formulae layout, based on TeX; often stylized as LaTeX.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna water-base paint that has a latex binder
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
latex · noun
- Latinlatex“water; liquid, fluid”
- New Latinlatex“clear fluid which is part of a humour or bodily fluid”
- Englishlatex
Borrowed from New Latin latex (“clear fluid which is part of a humour or bodily fluid”), a later use of Latin latex (“water; liquid, fluid”). Potentially a borrowing from Ancient Greek λᾰ́τᾰξ (lắtăx, “drop of wine”), reformed by analogy to other nouns in -ex. The semantic shift, however, from drop of wine to water is difficult to explain and may indicate that both words originated from a separate language. Perhaps from the same root as Proto-Celtic *latis (Old Irish laith (“liquid, beer”), Welsh llad (“beer”)) or Proto-Germanic *ladjō- (Old High German letto (“clay, loam”), Old Norse leðja (“mud, dregs”)) or from a Pre-Greek language.
More words from New Latin, Latin
Full word history & related roots →LaTeX · proper noun
Usually thought to be a blend of Lamport + TeX, the former being the surname of its creator, Leslie Lamport.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian латекс
- латекс (lateks)milky sap
Catalan làtex, làtex
- làtexmilky sap
- làtexemulsion
Chinese Cantonese 膠乳 /胶乳, 乳膠 /乳胶
- 膠乳 /胶乳 (gaau¹ jyu⁵)emulsion
- 乳膠 /乳胶 (jyu⁵ gaau¹)emulsion
Chinese Mandarin 橡漿 /橡浆, 膠乳 /胶乳
- 橡漿 /橡浆 (xiàngjiāng)milky sap
- 膠乳 /胶乳 (jiāorǔ)emulsion
- 乳膠 /乳胶 (rǔjiāo)emulsion
Danish latex, saft
- latexmilky sap
- saftmilky sap
Dutch latex
- latexmilky sap
Esperanto laktosuko
- laktosukomilky sap
Finnish lateksi, maitiaisneste
- lateksimilky sap
- maitiaisnestemilky sap
- lateksiemulsion
French latex
- latexmilky sap
German Latex, Milchsaft
- Latexmilky sap
- Milchsaftmilky sap
- Latexemulsion
Greek κόμμι
- κόμμι (kómmi)milky sap
Hawaiian kohu, kaikea
- kohumilky sap
- kaikeamilky sap
Hebrew לטקס
- לטקס (láteks)milky sap
Hungarian latex, tejnedv
- latexmilky sap
- tejnedvmilky sap
- latexemulsion
Icelandic mjólkursafi
- mjólkursafimilky sap
Indonesian getah, lateks
- getahmilky sap
- lateksmilky sap
- lateksemulsion
Italian latice, lattice
- laticemilky sap
- latticemilky sap
Japanese 乳液, 乳汁
- 乳液 (nyūeki)milky sap
- 乳汁 (nyūjū)milky sap
- ラテックス (ratekkusu)milky sap
Korean 라텍스
- 라텍스 (ratekseu)milky sap
Latin latex
- latexmilky sap
Malay getah
- getahmilky sap
Māori tawau
- tawaumilky sap
Polish lateks, lateks
- lateksmilky sap
- lateksemulsion
Portuguese látex, látex
- látexmilky sap
- látexemulsion
Romanian latex
- latexmilky sap
Russian ла́текс, мле́чный сок
- ла́текс (látɛks)milky sap
- мле́чный сок (mléčnyj sok)milky sap
- ла́текс (látɛks)emulsion
Spanish látex, siringa
- látexmilky sap
- siringamilky sap
- shiringamilky sap
- látexemulsion
Swedish latex, latex
- latexmilky sap
- latexemulsion
Turkish lateks, lateks
- lateksmilky sap
- lateksemulsion
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
latex. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/latex
“latex.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/latex. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “latex,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/latex.
Source: latex on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.