Word
rayon
Phoneticsray·on
US/ˈɹeɪən/
UK/ɹˈeɪɒn/
Definitions
01fabric type
n. a smooth, soft fabric made from natural materials like wood pulp.
n. a manufactured fiber composed of regenerated cellulose, typically used for clothing and upholstery.
“This shirt is made of rayon, so it feels very soft and cool in summer.”
“The designer preferred rayon for the summer collection because of its excellent drape and ability to mimic the sheen of natural silk.”
Synonyms
02a beam of light
n. a ray or beam of light.
n. a ray or beam of light; this usage is no longer found in modern English.
“The poet described a golden rayon of sun breaking through the dark clouds.”
“In the medieval manuscript, the author describes a divine rayon descending from the heavens to illuminate the altar.”
Archaic
03a circular area
n. a round area or the distance from the center of a circle to its edge.
n. a circular area or radius; often used in administrative or technical contexts in certain regions.
“The police searched every house within a small rayon of the crime scene.”
“The administrative rayon was established to manage the distribution of resources across the rural province.”
Technical
Etymology
Name chosen by the National Retail Dry Goods Association of America, probably from French rayon (“a beam of light, ray”) and so called because it is shiny; however, the Oxford English Dictionary states that it is apparently a blend of ray + cotton.
From Middle French rayon [1539], from Old French rai (whence English ray), from Latin rādius (whence English radius).
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/rayon