spandex
noun
span·dex ˈspan-ˌdeks 
: any of various elastic textile fibers made chiefly of polyurethane
also : clothing made of this material
Did you know?
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.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Actors head there in their spandex post-workout to fill up their Range Rovers; There are dozens of images of Ben Affleck fueling his sports cars. 
Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 2 Sep. 2022 The knee-high Thermo is made from a poly-spandex-merino blend (13% the latter), and is woven in such a way that each scok encircles muscles more than 300 times with graduated compression, which eases muscle and tendon pain. Stephanie Pearson, Outside Online, 30 Aug. 2022 The soccer moms that once huddled in groups with their Lululemon ‘fits and yoga mats are trading them in for spandex, knee pads, and twerk cardio. Kourtney Pope, refinery29.com, 25 Aug. 2022 The dress is woven from a mix of rayon and spandex, complete with a pull-on closure and decorative buttons down the front. Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2022 The alien protector of Metropolis (and by extension America), played with indelible charm and gravitas by Christopher Reeve, is heralded by a brass, four-note riff as simple and bold as his tri-color spandex. Alex Galbraith, EW.com, 23 Aug. 2022 Almost anyone can imagine themselves behind it as this everyman — an underestimated smartypants who, after a quick change into head-to-toe spandex, becomes a force for good. Aaron Morrison, ajc, 9 Aug. 2022 Leg warmers and spandex and a short haircut somewhere between Pat Benatar and Princess Di. Hank Stuever, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2022 The Bali Comfort Revolution Wireless Bra is made with a soft blend of nylon and spandex that's stretchy and has flat seams, so it can't be seen underneath clothing. Carly Kulzer, PEOPLE.com, 1 July 2022 See More
Liana Satenstein, Vogue, 2 Sep. 2022 The knee-high Thermo is made from a poly-spandex-merino blend (13% the latter), and is woven in such a way that each scok encircles muscles more than 300 times with graduated compression, which eases muscle and tendon pain. Stephanie Pearson, Outside Online, 30 Aug. 2022 The soccer moms that once huddled in groups with their Lululemon ‘fits and yoga mats are trading them in for spandex, knee pads, and twerk cardio. Kourtney Pope, refinery29.com, 25 Aug. 2022 The dress is woven from a mix of rayon and spandex, complete with a pull-on closure and decorative buttons down the front. Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2022 The alien protector of Metropolis (and by extension America), played with indelible charm and gravitas by Christopher Reeve, is heralded by a brass, four-note riff as simple and bold as his tri-color spandex. Alex Galbraith, EW.com, 23 Aug. 2022 Almost anyone can imagine themselves behind it as this everyman — an underestimated smartypants who, after a quick change into head-to-toe spandex, becomes a force for good. Aaron Morrison, ajc, 9 Aug. 2022 Leg warmers and spandex and a short haircut somewhere between Pat Benatar and Princess Di. Hank Stuever, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2022 The Bali Comfort Revolution Wireless Bra is made with a soft blend of nylon and spandex that's stretchy and has flat seams, so it can't be seen underneath clothing. Carly Kulzer, PEOPLE.com, 1 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
anagram of expands
First Known Use
1959, in the meaning defined above