Nylon
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: /ˈnaɪlɒn/
- US nīʹlän, IPA: /ˈnaɪlÉ‘Ën/
- Rhymes: -aɪlɒn
- Hyphenation: ny + lon
Origin
Arbitrary letters + -on (by analogy with cotton); the frequently heard claim that the word derives from abbreviations of New York ("NY") and London ("Lon") is a myth.
Noun
nylon
(countable and uncountable; plural nylons)- Originally, the DuPont company trade name for polyamide, a copolymer whose molecules consist of alternating diamine and dicarboxylic acid monomers bonded together; now generically used for this type of polymer.
- (plurale tantum) A stocking originally fabricated from nylon; also used generically for any long, sheer stocking worn on a woman's legs.They left the strip club when they discovered the ladies only stripped down to their nylons.