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
Jenifer Calle, Glamour, 26 Sep. 2025
They’re made of recycled polyester and spandex, and feature a body-hugging waistband for all-day comfort.
—Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2025
By merging different material detection methods, the system can identify fiber composition and contaminants—like trace amounts of spandex, nylon and acrylic below 2 percent.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
Stepping out of the cocoon-like warmth of the Sequoia into the pre-dawn chill, Michelle shivered in black Nike spandex pants and a red T-shirt layered over a spandex top.
—Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 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 1 Oct. 2025.
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spandex
noun
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