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
Ali Faccenda, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
They’re made from a buttery soft blend of modal and spandex that feels seriously luxe.
—Emily Hochberg, Parents, 22 Apr. 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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Cite this Entry
“Spandex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spandex. Accessed 8 May. 2024.
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spandex
noun
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