spandex

noun

span·​dex ˈspan-ˌdeks 

: any of various elastic textile fibers made chiefly of polyurethane

also : clothing made of this material

Did you know?

Spandex is a fiber that has had an impact on fashion high and low, casual and formal, outer and under. It's not a trademark, as a number of the names of other fibers are, among them Dacron, Lycra, and Orlon. It's a generic term, coined in 1959 as an anagram of the word expands. Anagrammatic coinages are not common; the only other in our dictionaries that the average person is likely to be familiar with is sideburns. Sideburns is an anagram (and synonym) of burnsides, from Ambrose E. Burnside, a Union general in the American Civil War credited with originating the fashion (in the U.S., at least) also known as side-whiskers.

Examples of spandex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of their bestsellers this winter include its core designs in nylon and spandex, like the Gabriella top and bottom, the Blake Micro Bike Shorts, the Bella Twist-Front One-Piece in crinkle fabric, and the Gigi top and bottom in shimmer fabric. —Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Maidenform Open Bust Body Shaper $68 $28 at Amazon This bodysuit is made of soft nylon and spandex that doesn’t lose its shape — even after washing. —Clara McMahon, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024

That’s trailed significantly by polyester (3 percent), silk (3 percent), wool (1 percent), Lycra and/or spandex (1 percent), and rayon (0 percent). —Catherine Salfino, Sourcing Journal, 31 Oct. 2024

The polyester, rayon, and spandex materials give you enough breathability and stretch. —Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

anagram of expands

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

spandex

noun

span·​dex ˈspan-ˌdeks 

: any of various synthetic elastic textile fibers