Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
name
A digital typesetting system for mathematical and scientific formulae layout, based on TeX; often stylized as LaTeX.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: computer-languages, computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A clear liquid believed to be a component of a humour or other bodily fluid (esp. plasma and lymph).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, countable, rare, uncountable
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The milky sap of several trees that coagulates on exposure to air; used to make rubber.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
An emulsion of rubber in water, used in adhesives and the like.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Natural latex rubber, especially nonvulcanized rubber, such as is used in making latex gloves, latex condoms, and latex clothing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a water-base paint that has a latex binder
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: latex paint, rubber-base paint
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: water-base paint
noun
a milky exudate from certain plants that coagulates on exposure to air
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: exudate, exudation
Narrower terms: rubber, natural rubber, India rubber, gum elastic, caoutchouc
History
Usually thought to be a blend of Lamport + TeX, the former being the surname of its creator, Leslie Lamport.
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.
Across languages
60 source translations are retained for this English entry.
