Meaning & use
latex gloves
Last updated
Meaning
nounplural
Thin stretchy gloves made from a rubber material, worn to protect the hands or to keep things clean.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun; for one item say a latex glove.
Patterns
- a pair of latex gloves
- wear latex gloves
- put on latex gloves
The nurse put on a pair of latex gloves before cleaning the wound.
Please wear latex gloves when you handle the chemicals.
These latex gloves are too small for my hands.
Common combinations
- a pair of latex gloves
- He bought a pair of latex gloves for the painting job.
- wear latex gloves
- All staff must wear latex gloves in the kitchen.
- latex glove allergy
- Some people develop a latex glove allergy after years of use.
- disposable latex gloves
- The clinic uses disposable latex gloves for each patient.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rubber gloves
- A more general term that can mean thicker gloves for washing dishes, not necessarily thin medical ones.
- exam gloves
- A medical term for the thin gloves used during examinations, often made of latex, nitrile, or vinyl.
Word family
- latex noun
- The rubber material itself, or a milky liquid from some plants.
Commonly confused: latex gloves or nitrile gloves?
latex gloves vs nitrile gloves
Nitrile gloves look similar but are made of a synthetic material, so they are safe for people with a latex allergy.
Practice
The doctor asked the nurse to ___ before touching the patient.
Choose one answer.
We normally talk about two gloves, so the plural 'latex gloves' is correct. 'A latex glove' means only one glove, and 'wear a latex gloves' mixes singular and plural incorrectly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “latex gloves”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.