Lycra
/ˈlʌɪkrə
/noun [mass noun] trademark
An elastic polyurethane fibre or fabric used especially for close-fitting sports clothing: [as modifier]: Lycra shorts...
- This is an era of bikini swimsuits, Lycra sportswear, revealing underwear and lingerie ads in mainstream newspapers.
- PVC, fishnet, Lycra and velvet were worked into corsets, coats and masks.
- But adding Lycra can make the fabric less stable, requiring more maintenance by the consumer.
Origin
1950s: of unknown origin.