Durex

See also: durex

English

A Durex-brand condom in a packet

Etymology

Condom brand name: 1929, from durability, reliability, excellence.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈdʌ.ɹɛks/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈdʊ.ɹɛks/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Dur‧ex

Proper noun

Durex

1. (British, US) A brand of condom.
2. (Australia) A brand of adhesive tape.

Descendants

• → Portuguese: durex

Noun

Durex (countable and uncountable, plural Durexes)

1. (countable, British) A condom.

   Synonym: condom

   • 1995, Nick Hornby, High Fidelity, London: Victor Gollancz, →ISBN, page 17:

     All I know is that you could, if you wanted to, find the answers to all sorts of difficult questions buried in that terrible war-torn interregnum between the first pubic hair and the first soiled Durex.

   • 2006, “Rudebox”, in Rudebox, performed by Robbie Williams:

     Pocket full of Durex, body full of Mandrex / Are we gonna have sex? Will you wear your knee socks?

2. (uncountable, Australia) Adhesive tape.

   Synonyms: adhesive tape, Scotch tape, sellotape, sticky tape, tape

Usage notes

• Use of Durex as a generic term for adhesive tape has declined markedly in Australia in recent years as the brand is no longer sold there, and in fact the condom brand is widely available and marketed in that country (though Durex is still rare as a generic term for condoms in Australia).

Translations

adhesive tape — see adhesive tape

condom — see condom

Anagrams

• redux

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dy.ʁɛks/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Proper noun

Durex m

1. (Canada) a brand of adhesive tape
2. (France, US) a brand of condom

Synonyms

• Scotch