Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
natural rubber

natural rubber

1 2.9
An elastic material made from the sticky sap of certain trees used for many products
  • noun
  • /ˈnæʧərəl ˈrʌbər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : caucho natural
  • Natural rubber latex is extracted from the rubber tree and is used in making products like gloves and balloons.
  • natural rubber latex

So chemists in Europe and places like North America were tasked with, can you create a synthetic version of natural rubber or of silk?

Examples

  • The manufacturing process for shoes often includes natural rubber due to its elasticity and durability.

  • Adverse Reactions to Natural Rubber Latex

    Academic text (1998)

  • So chemists in Europe and places like North America were tasked with, can you create a synthetic version of natural rubber or of silk?

    The Royal Institution

  • Slopes were lowest for the Pump It Up!, the only product with membranes made entirely of natural rubber.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The floors are made out of natural rubber, a renewing and renewable resource that is also free of toxins.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Over the past several years, many published case reports have described serious allergic reactions to products that contain natural rubber latex (1-11).

    Academic text (1998)

  • This sap or latex contains substantial amounts of cis-1,4-polyisoprene, from which natural rubber obtains its desirable thermal and plastic properties.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Natural rubber latex is derived from the milky white sap of the Hevea brasiliensis plant, more commonly known as the rubber tree.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Natural rubber, harvested from rubber trees, is a crucial material in the manufacturing of natural rubber tires.

Synonyms

rubber
vsnatural rubber
230 1.0

A strong elastic material from plant sap or made in factories used for things like tires

refers only to the natural form obtained from tree latex
India rubber
vsnatural rubber
  • Archaic
1 5.0

A natural material from tree sap that stretches and is used to make tires and erasers

is the broader modern term rather than this regional or historic name
gum elastic
vsnatural rubber
  • Specialized
7.5

A natural stretchy material from tree sap used to make rubber things like tires or tubing

is the common modern term rather than this alternative name
caoutchouc
vsnatural rubber
  • Archaic
9.9

A natural elastic material made from rubber-tree sap used to make tires and waterproof clothes

is the general everyday name while this is an older or formal variant
Para rubber
vsnatural rubber
  • Specialized
7.3

A natural rubber made from sap of the Brazilian rubber tree used to make tires

is the general material term, not limited to one tree species

Antonyms

synthetic rubber
  • Specialized
1 4.0

A man-made stretchy material made with chemicals like natural rubber

How Elastic

elastic band
  • UK
4 1.0
natural rubber
  • Specialized
1 2.9
latex
  • Specialized
26 5.4
plastic
798 1.0
glass
785 1.0

Surface Forms

natural rubber singular
natural rubbers plural

Morphology

natural + rubber

The meaning is directly derivable from 'natural' (not synthetic, produced by nature) combined with 'rubber' (an elastic polymer/material), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to rubber from natural sources. This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition following common cross-linguistic patterns, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The name natural rubber comes from a sticky tree juice that people first used to 'rub' out pencil marks, so they called it rubber. People added natural to show it came from trees, and that juice can be turned into the stretchy material we use for tires and many other things.