French word

latex

Pronunciation

IPA/latɛks/

Meaning

  • masculine nounlatex

Example

Le ballon est en latex.

The balloon is made of latex.

Illustration for latex (latex)

More examples

Elle a une allergie au latex.

She has a latex allergy.

Core concept

Milky plant sap that dries or is processed into elastic natural rubber.

Common phrases

  • gants en latex

    latex gloves

  • allergie au latex

    latex allergy

Similar words

caoutchouc: A flexible rubber material used in tires, boots, and other goods.
gomme: A firm block for removing pencil or pen marks.
élastique: A stretchy ring for tying back hair.

Definition in French

Sève végétale laiteuse qui, une fois traitée ou coagulée, fournit le matériau connu comme caoutchouc naturel.

Word origin

French latex comes from Latin latex, meaning liquid or fluid, and became a nineteenth-century technical term for milky plant sap and its rubber product.

Usage tips

  • French uses masculine le latex, and the final x is pronounced, giving roughly la-teks.

Word lists with this word