spandex

IPA/ˈspændeks/
KK[spˈændəks]IPA/ˈspændeks/

spandex — noun

1. a very elastic artificial fibre mixed into clothes so they fit snugly and move e

1.nounB2
Definition

a very elastic artificial fibre mixed into clothes so they fit snugly and move easily.

Example

Amani chose a spandex top for dance rehearsal because the fabric moved easily.

spandex + clothing item

The swim team orders black spandex shorts before every summer training camp.

common noun pair: spandex shorts

Common collocations
  • spandex shorts
  • spandex top
  • a little spandex
  • made with spandex
  • contains spandex
Synonyms
  • elastane

    the generic industry term, especially common on clothing labels outside North America

  • Lycra

    a brand name often used for the same kind of stretch fibre

Antonyms
  • cotton

    a natural fibre with little stretch unless mixed with elastic material

  • linen

    a crisp natural fabric that usually hangs loosely rather than stretching

Grammar Patterns

uncountable noun

often used before another noun

Usage Note

Usually treated as an uncountable material. It often appears before a clothing noun or in blend descriptions such as 'with a little spandex' or 'contains 5% spandex'.

Common Mistakes

These leggings are a spandex.
These leggings are made with spandex.
spandex names the stretchy material, not the whole garment.
This fabric has many spandexs in it.
This fabric contains a lot of spandex.
spandex is normally uncountable and does not take a plural form.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words point to the same family of stretchy man-made fibres, but they are used in different contexts. Spandex is the ordinary everyday word in North American English, so shoppers often see it in product descriptions such as spandex shorts or a cotton-spandex blend. Elastane is the neutral technical label and is especially common on clothing tags in Europe and Asia. Lycra is a brand name, so it can sound slightly more commercial or fashion-focused than the other two. In practice, a learner can treat them as near equivalents when talking about fabric, but it helps to notice whether the speaker is naming the material in general, reading a garment label, or referring to a brand.

spandex ↗elastaneLycra ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • spandex shorts
  • spandex top
  • spandex leggings
  • spandex blend

Phrases

  • a little spandex
  • contains spandex

Prepositions

  • made with spandex
  • blended with spandex

Etymology

English

Spandex is a modern American coinage formed by rearranging the letters of expands. It was introduced as a generic name for a new polyurethane stretch fibre that could be woven into clothing to help it fit closely and spring back after being pulled. Because the material is usually mixed with other fibres rather than used alone, the word often appears in blend descriptions on clothing labels and product pages.

First known use

1959

1959, in the meaning defined above