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

The cotton-spandex fabric is soft, breathable and stretchy. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026

The stretchy spandex-like material feels buttery-soft on the skin, but also is great for comfortable, all-day wear. —Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026

These jeans are fitted through the waist and thighs with a wider flare below the knee, and their cotton material is made with a hint of spandex for just the right amount of stretch. —Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026

For the perfect pair of spandex shorts, multiple members of our team swear by the Salutation Stash Shorts - High Rise 5 Inch. —Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2026

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