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spandex

American

[span-deks] / ˈspæn dɛks /

noun

Chemistry.

a synthetic fiber composed of a long-chain polymer, used chiefly in the manufacture of garments to add elasticity.

spandex British

/ ˈspændɛks /

noun

a type of synthetic stretch fabric made from polyurethane fibre

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of spandex

First recorded in 1955–60; anagram of expands

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Benedict dives into the normalization of comedic actors putting on 30 pounds of muscle to convincingly wear spandex and crack jokes at alien hordes.

From Salon • Aug. 23, 2025

This purification of pregnancy has seen maternity fashions exploit the full potential of spandex, belts, and bows to annunciate rather than conceal the baby bump.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2025

“What about the kids? What about me?” she says, huffing away in her avatar’s spandex skeleton costume.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2025

They were dressed in natural fabrics and neutrals, a far and elegant cry from the demented spandex and polyester they so often wore during their years on “Saturday Night Live.”

From New York Times • Apr. 3, 2024

In the second room was either Dana’s mother or Dana himself, wearing red spandex pants and a ratty wig.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023