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
Gabriella Maestri, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2024
This year was no exception with the brand’s Ski Ultralight Tall sock, which sits right below the knee and is made from a durable blend of 64 percent polyamide, 22 percent merino wool, and 14 percent spandex.
—Stephanie Pearson, Outside Online, 10 Oct. 2024
Every September, users on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram begin to recirculate old photos of Princess Diana leaving the gym in spandex and a statement pullover.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2024
Notably, our regen BIO Spandex fibers have the same performance as conventional spandex in terms of powerful stretch, recovery, shape-retention and durability.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spandex 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spandex.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Spandex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spandex. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
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spandex
noun
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