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
Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 16 June 2025
Read More: How Fast Fashion Harms the Environment — and People's Health
Poor Pregnancy Outcomes
Polyester (when combined with spandex) may also contain bisphenol A (BPA), another chemical compound that has been shown to potentially impact fertility.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2025
The seersucker fabric is constructed from cotton with a little bit of spandex stretch for flexibility, plus a fully elastic waistband for a more comfortable wear.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 20 June 2025
It’s made from a stretchy polyester and spandex material, and it’s received more than 7,100 perfect ratings.
—Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 8 June 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 8 Jul. 2025.
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spandex
noun
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