Latex
/ˈleɪ.tɛks/noun
A milky fluid produced by many plants, especially rubber trees, or a material made from it.
Did you know?Latex comes from Latin latex, meaning “liquid” or “fluid,” and it was used in scientific Latin long before rubber became the famous meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
latex
“A liquid, fluid, or stream of fluid”
17th Century
New Latin
latex
“A plant fluid or milky juice, especially the sap of rubber-producing plants”
19th Century
English
latex
“The milky sap of certain plants”
20th Century
English
latex
“Natural rubber or a synthetic rubber-like material”