nylon

Meaning

1. 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.
2. A stocking originally fabricated from nylon; also used generically for any long, sheer stocking worn on a woman's legs.
3. A Queen's Counsel, King's Counsel or Senior Counsel who was appointed as a courtesy, rather than on merit.

Synonyms

fabric

fare

silk

synthetic fiber

polyamide fiber

synthetic fabric

Hyphenated as

ny‧lon

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈnaɪlɒn/

Etymology

Arbitrary letters + -on (by analogy with cotton); the widespread claim that the word derives from abbreviations of New York and London is a myth. Another claim is that an earlier name proposed for the material, intended for use in stockings, was "no-run", which was altered to avoid falsely representing that stockings made from the material would not run at all.