rayon
/ˈɹeɪɒn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.99 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A circular area whose extent is measured by the length of the radius of the circle which bounds it.
noun
Alternative spelling of raion.
Example Sentences
- "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, […]"
- "The rayons of the Sunne we see, Diminish in their strength."
- "Here stood A cave,…unreached by rayons of the Sun."
- "Within a rayon of a certain number of miles."
- "I found myself within his rayon at Newcastle, which is one of his bases of supply."
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.
Origin
- Source language: French
- First known use: [1539]