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

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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 The sweater is made from a blend of polyester, acrylic, cotton, and spandex that gives you a soft and snuggly feel. —

Alicia Geigel, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024 These pajamas from Cozy Earth are luxurious and adorable, made mostly from bamboo and spandex. —

Christopher Murray, Fox News, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spandex