Etymology

nylon

ny·lon
N1Y4L1O1N1

Today it means: 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. Full definition →

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The story

Coined by the company DuPont in 1938. According to the company, the name was formed from the random generic syllable nyl- + the common fiber suffix -on (as in rayon and Dacron), said to be ultimately from cotton.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.