nylon

See also: NYLON, NyLon, and Nylon

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈnaɪlɒn/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) nīʹlän, IPA^(key): /ˈnaɪlɑn/
• Rhymes: -aɪlɒn
• Hyphenation: ny‧lon

Noun

nylon (countable and uncountable, plural nylons)

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. (in the plural) A stocking originally fabricated from nylon; also used generically for any long, sheer stocking worn on a woman's legs.

   I tore a hole in my nylons while walking home through the woods.

   • 1970-1975, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure

     He put on make-up, nylons, panties, a dress.

   • 2007, Matthew Weiner, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, in Mad Men, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Don Draper (Jon Hamm):

     What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons. You're born alone and you die alone and this world just drops a bunch of rules on top of you to make you forget those facts.

3. (perjoratively, by comparison to silk) A Queen's Counsel, King's Counsel or Senior Counsel who was appointed as a courtesy, rather than on merit.

Derived terms

• Bri-Nylon
• nylonase
• nyloned
• nylon-string guitar

Descendants

Descendants

• → Chinese: 尼龍 / 尼龙 (nílóng)
• → Czech: nylon
• → Dutch: nylon
• → Finnish: nailon
• → French: nylon
• → German: Nylon
• → Irish: níolón
• → Persian: نایلون (nâylon)
• → Polish: nylon
• → Portuguese: nylon
• → Spanish: nailon
  • → Southeastern Tepehuan: nailo
• → Swedish: nylon
• → Tibetan: ནེ་ལོན (ne lon)
• → Turkish: naylon

Translations

substance

• Albanian: najllon m, najlon (sq) m
• Arabic: نَايْلُون m (nāylūn)
• Armenian: նայլոն (hy) (naylon)
• Asturian: nilón m, nailon m
• Azerbaijani: neylon
• Belarusian: нейло́н m (njejlón)
• Bengali: নাইলন (bn) (nailon)
• Bulgarian: на́йлон m (nájlon)
• Burmese: နိုင်လွန် (my) (nuinglwan)
• Catalan: niló m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 尼龍 / 尼龙 (zh) (nílóng)

• Czech: nylon m
• Danish: nylon c or n
• Dutch: nylon (nl) n
• Esperanto: nilono
• Estonian: nailon
• Faroese: nailon n
• Finnish: nailon (fi)
• French: nylon (fr) m
• Georgian: ნეილონი (neiloni)
• German: Nylon (de) n
• Greek: νάιλον (el) n (náilon)
• Hausa: nailan (ha)
• Hebrew: ניילון \ נַיְלוֹן (he) m (náylon)
• Hindi: नायलॉन (nāylŏn)
• Hungarian: nejlon (hu)
• Icelandic: nælon n
• Indonesian: nilon (id)
• Irish: níolón m
• Italian: nylon (it) m, nailon (it) m
• Japanese: ナイロン (ja) (nairon)
• Kazakh: нейлон (neilon)
• Khmer: នីឡុង (km) (niilong)
• Korean: 나일론 (ko) (naillon)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: نایلۆن (naylon)

  Northern Kurdish: naylon (ku)

• Kyrgyz: нейлон (neylon)
• Lao: ນີລົງ (lo) (nī long)
• Latvian: neilons m
• Lithuanian: nailonas m
• Macedonian: најлон m (najlon)
• Malay: nilon
• Māori: ngaiaku
• Melanau:

  Central Melanau: nailon

• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: нейлон (nejlon)

  Mongolian script: ᠨᠢᠯᠣᠨ (nilon)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: nylon n

• Pashto: نيلون (ps) m (naylun)
• Persian: نایلون (fa) (nâylon)
• Polish: nylon (pl) m
• Portuguese: nylon (pt) m, náilon (pt) m
• Romanian: nailon (ro) n
• Russian: нейло́н (ru) m (nejlón)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: на̀јло̄н m

  Latin: nàjlōn (sh) m

• Slovak: nylon m
• Slovene: najlon m
• Spanish: nylon (es) m, nilón m, nailon (es) m
• Swedish: nylon (sv) n
• Tagalog: naylon
• Tajik: нейлон (neylon)
• Thai: ไนล่อน (nai-lɔ̂n)
• Tibetan: ནེ་ལོན (ne lon)
• Turkish: naylon (tr)
• Turkmen: neýlon
• Ukrainian: нейло́н m (nejlón)
• Urdu: نائِلَون (nāilaun)
• Uyghur: نىلون (nilon)
• Uzbek: neylon (uz)
• Vietnamese: ni lông (vi), ni-lông (vi)

sheer stocking

• Czech: nylonky f, nylonové punčochy f
• Faroese: nailonsokkur m
• Finnish: nailonit (fi) pl, nailonsukka
• German: Nylon (de) m, Nylonstrumpf (de) m
• Icelandic: nælonsokkur m
• Italian: calza di nylon f, calza di nailon f, filanca f
• Polish: nylon (pl) m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: на̀јло̄нка f

  Latin: nàjlōnka (sh) f

Anagrams

• nonyl

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈnajlon]
• IPA^(key): [ˈnɪlon]

Noun

nylon m inan

1. nylon (copolymer consisting of alternating diamine and dicarboxylic acid monomers)

Declension

Declension of nylon (sg-only hard masculine inanimate)

	singular
nominative	nylon
genitive	nylonu
dative	nylonu
accusative	nylon
vocative	nylone
locative	nylonu
instrumental	nylonem

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English nylon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɛi̯.lɔn/, /ˈnɑi̯.lɔn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ny‧lon

Noun

nylon n (uncountable, no diminutive)

1. Nylon

Derived terms

• nylonkous
• nylonkweefsel

Noun

nylon m (plural nylons, no diminutive)

1. a nylon stocking

   Synonym: nylonkous

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɑi̯lon/, [ˈnɑ̝i̯lo̞n]
• IPA^(key): /ˈnylon/, [ˈnylo̞n] (spelling pronunciation)
• Rhymes: -ɑilon

Noun

nylon

1. alternative form of nailon (“nylon”)

Declension

Inflection of nylon (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)
nominative		nylon	nylonit
genitive		nylonin	nylonien nyloneiden nyloneitten
partitive		nylonia	nyloneita nyloneja
illative		nyloniin	nyloneihin
		singular	plural
nominative		nylon	nylonit
accusative	nom.	nylon	nylonit
	gen.	nylonin
genitive		nylonin	nylonien nyloneiden nyloneitten
partitive		nylonia	nyloneita nyloneja
inessive		nylonissa	nyloneissa
elative		nylonista	nyloneista
illative		nyloniin	nyloneihin
adessive		nylonilla	nyloneilla
ablative		nylonilta	nyloneilta
allative		nylonille	nyloneille
essive		nylonina	nyloneina
translative		nyloniksi	nyloneiksi
abessive		nylonitta	nyloneitta
instructive		—	nylonein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of nylon (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative nylonini nylonini accusative nom. nylonini nylonini gen. nylonini genitive nylonini nylonieni nyloneideni nyloneitteni partitive nyloniani nyloneitani nylonejani inessive nylonissani nyloneissani elative nylonistani nyloneistani illative nyloniini nyloneihini adessive nylonillani nyloneillani ablative nyloniltani nyloneiltani allative nylonilleni nyloneilleni essive nyloninani nyloneinani translative nylonikseni nyloneikseni abessive nylonittani nyloneittani instructive — — comitative — nyloneineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative nylonisi nylonisi accusative nom. nylonisi nylonisi gen. nylonisi genitive nylonisi nyloniesi nyloneidesi nyloneittesi partitive nyloniasi nyloneitasi nylonejasi inessive nylonissasi nyloneissasi elative nylonistasi nyloneistasi illative nyloniisi nyloneihisi adessive nylonillasi nyloneillasi ablative nyloniltasi nyloneiltasi allative nylonillesi nyloneillesi essive nyloninasi nyloneinasi translative nyloniksesi nyloneiksesi abessive nylonittasi nyloneittasi instructive — — comitative — nyloneinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative nylonimme nylonimme accusative nom. nylonimme nylonimme gen. nylonimme genitive nylonimme nyloniemme nyloneidemme nyloneittemme partitive nyloniamme nyloneitamme nylonejamme inessive nylonissamme nyloneissamme elative nylonistamme nyloneistamme illative nyloniimme nyloneihimme adessive nylonillamme nyloneillamme ablative nyloniltamme nyloneiltamme allative nylonillemme nyloneillemme essive nyloninamme nyloneinamme translative nyloniksemme nyloneiksemme abessive nylonittamme nyloneittamme instructive — — comitative — nyloneinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative nyloninne nyloninne accusative nom. nyloninne nyloninne gen. nyloninne genitive nyloninne nylonienne nyloneidenne nyloneittenne partitive nylonianne nyloneitanne nylonejanne inessive nylonissanne nyloneissanne elative nylonistanne nyloneistanne illative nyloniinne nyloneihinne adessive nylonillanne nyloneillanne ablative nyloniltanne nyloneiltanne allative nylonillenne nyloneillenne essive nyloninanne nyloneinanne translative nyloniksenne nyloneiksenne abessive nylonittanne nyloneittanne instructive — — comitative — nyloneinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative nyloninsa nyloninsa accusative nom. nyloninsa nyloninsa gen. nyloninsa genitive nyloninsa nyloniensa nyloneidensa nyloneittensa partitive nyloniaan nyloniansa nyloneitaan nylonejaan nyloneitansa nylonejansa inessive nylonissaan nylonissansa nyloneissaan nyloneissansa elative nylonistaan nylonistansa nyloneistaan nyloneistansa illative nyloniinsa nyloneihinsa adessive nylonillaan nylonillansa nyloneillaan nyloneillansa ablative nyloniltaan nyloniltansa nyloneiltaan nyloneiltansa allative nylonilleen nylonillensa nyloneilleen nyloneillensa essive nyloninaan nyloninansa nyloneinaan nyloneinansa translative nylonikseen nyloniksensa nyloneikseen nyloneiksensa abessive nylonittaan nylonittansa nyloneittaan nyloneittansa instructive — — comitative — nyloneineen nyloneinensa

Further reading

• “nylon”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ni.lɔ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

nylon m (plural nylons)

1. nylon (material)

Derived terms

• ennylonné

Further reading

• “nylon”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English nylon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɘ.lɔn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɘlɔn
• Syllabification: ny‧lon

Noun

nylon m inan

1. nylon (substance)

Declension

Declension of nylon

	singular
nominative	nylon
genitive	nylonu
dative	nylonowi
accusative	nylon
instrumental	nylonem
locative	nylonie
vocative	nylonie

Derived terms

adjective

• nylonowy

noun

• nylony

Further reading

• nylon in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• nylon in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• náilon

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English nylon.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈnaj.lõ/ [ˈnaɪ̯.lõ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈnaj.lɔn/

Noun

nylon m (uncountable)

1. nylon (a synthetic polymer)

Further reading

• “nylon”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “nylon”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnailon/ [ˈnai̯.lõn]
• Rhymes: -ailon
• Syllabification: ny‧lon

Noun

nylon m (uncountable)

1. nylon

Swedish

Noun

nylon n

1. nylon (synthetic fiber)

Declension

Declension of nylon

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	nylon	nylons
	definite	nylonet	nylonets
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

References

• “nylon”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “nylon”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “nylon”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)