'Rayon' evokes light itself — likely blending 'ray' with '-on,' named for the fabric's characteristic lustre.
A semi-synthetic fibre made from regenerated cellulose (typically wood pulp), prized for its silky appearance and smooth feel.
Coined in 1924 by the American textile industry (specifically adopted by the National Retail Dry Goods Association) to replace the less appealing earlier names 'artificial silk' and 'viscose.' The name 'rayon' is believed to combine 'ray' (a beam of light, from French 'rayon,' 'beam, spoke, ray,' from Latin 'radius') with the suffix '-on' (as in 'cotton'). The name was chosen to evoke the fabric's characteristic sheen and lustre. Key roots: radius (Latin