spandex
noun
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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
Charlie Campbell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Composed of natural and synthetic fibers, mannequins, handmade paper, spandex bodysuits, beads, notions, shoes, poly fill, paint, and gel medium, Saya Woolfalk’s Chimera from her 2012 The Empathics series challenge the viewer’s perception, as they are led into a narrative fantasy reality.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Hyosung expanded its diaper spandex production beyond existing facilities in South Korea and China to now include its plants in India and Turkey—expected to reach an annual capacity of 11,000 tons by 2026.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 25 July 2025
Items like compression wear, tight-fitting spandex and clothing with metal embellishments should be avoided.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for spandex
Cite this Entry
“Spandex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spandex. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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spandex
noun
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