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

At one point, Aguayo interrupted the interview to take a photo with five men in red spandex suits, dressed as the traditional Mexican superhero El Chapulin. —Evan Webeck, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025

This jacket is constructed with a mix of polyester and spandex, which is lightweight enough for warmer fall days but still provides enough warmth when temperatures are on the chilly side. —Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2025

Quince's version is made with 24 percent spandex for extra stretch and features a high-cut leg that hits just right to cinch your waist. —Claire Gallam, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2025

The breathable cotton-spandex blend has a wide, double-layered waistband that offers gentle compression through weight changes, pregnancy, postpartum, or menopause. —Malia Griggs, Glamour, 19 Aug. 2025

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