rayon

plural rayons

1. countableuncountableA manufactured regenerated cellulosic fiber.

   1 more example

   It is possible to make rope and thread directly from the soft interior of bamboo stems by mechanical processing of the material, but it seems that the majority of fiber sold as "bamboo" is actually rayon made from bamboo. The source may be the bamboo plant, but rayon is cellulose that has been chemically reprocessed to the point that it really doesn't matter anymore where the cellulose came from. If a fiber shares none of the physical, structural properties of the original bamboo fiber, in what sense is it bamboo? But not to worry, this bamboo rope comes from a specialist supplier who assures me that it is genuine, raw bamboo fiber, not reconstituted rayon.

   2014, Theodore Gray, photography by Nick Mann, Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything, 2018 Paperback Edition, page 119

   Synonyms: cactus silk, sabra silk, viscose

plural rayons

1. obsoleterareA ray or beam of light.

   Here stood A cave,…unreached by rayons of the Sun.

   1859, Singleton, Virgil, volume II, page 244

   2 more examples

   Nor brick, nor marble was the wall in view, But ſhining Chriſtall, which from top to baſe Out of her womb a thouſand rayons threw, […]

   1591, Joachim du Bellay, “The Visions of Bellay”, in Ed[mund] Sp[enser], transl., Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC, part 2, signature Y3, recto

   The rayons of the Sunne we see, Diminish in their strength.

   a. 1609, Alex. Hume, Day Estivall, page 177

2. A circular area whose extent is measured by the length of the radius of the circle which bounds it.

   Within a rayon of a certain number of miles.

   1878, Lady Herbert, transl., Hübner’s Ramble, part iii, chapter i, page 459

   1 more example

   I found myself within his rayon at Newcastle, which is one of his bases of supply.

   1879 May 26th, Daily News, page 5/6

   Synonyms: radius

plural rayons

1. alternativeAlternative spelling of raion.

plural Rayons

1. A surname from Spanish.