denim

noun

den·​im ˈde-nəm How to pronounce denim (audio)
1
a
: a firm durable twilled usually cotton fabric woven with colored warp and white filling threads
b
: a similar fabric woven in colored stripes
2
denims plural : overalls or trousers usually of blue denim
denimed adjective

Did you know?

Many fabrics have been named for the places where they were once made. Denim gets its name from Nîmes, a city in France famous for its textiles. But the name came about in an unusual way. The fabric, a heavy serge, was originally called serge de Nîmes, literally, “serge from Nîmes.” The “s” on Nîmes is not pronounced in French, so when the name of the fabric came into English, it was often written serge de Nim and later serge denim. In time, this was shortened to simply denim.

Examples of denim in a Sentence

He's wearing faded denims and cowboy boots.
Recent Examples on the Web During Hilton’s party girl heyday, Lindsay Lohan was also often seen wearing wedges with shredded spray-on jeans or hot pants–her Chanel denim shorts with white Dior patent leather wedges were a personal highlight–while Jessica Alba often paired hers with an elegant dress on the red carpet. Alex Kessler, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024 Plus, white sneakers easily coordinate with various outfits — basic denim, summery dresses, and colorful blazers (as seen on Kate Middleton). Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 Its mannequins are dressed head to toe in its trademark denim. Jordyn Holman, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Like other divisive denim—think skinny jeans and wide-leg jeans—low-rise silhouettes are the subject of never-ending discourse, including among Glamour editors. Jake Smith, Glamour, 22 Feb. 2024 Take a page out of Johnson’s spring style guide by ditching your denim in favor of flowy floral pants. Averi Baudler, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 Watson packed plenty of classic denim for her trip to Milan. Alex Kessler, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2024 This denim is built to last (so the financial investment is worth it) with a blend of soft cotton, polyester, spandex. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024 And unlike other options, it’s made with rigid denim—no elastane to be found—that’ll mold to your body over time. Jake Smith, Glamour, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'denim.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French (serge) de Nîmes serge of Nîmes, France

First Known Use

1695, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of denim was in 1695

Dictionary Entries Near denim

Cite this Entry

“Denim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denim. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

denim

noun
den·​im ˈden-əm How to pronounce denim (audio)
1
: a firm durable twilled usually cotton fabric
2
plural : overalls or trousers of denim
Etymology

from French (serge) de Nîmes "serge (fabric) from Nîmes (city in France)"

Word Origin
Many fabrics have been named for the places where they were once made. Denim gets its name from Nîmes, a city in France famous for its textiles. But the name came about in an unusual way. The fabric, a heavy serge, was originally called serge de Nîmes, literally, "serge from Nîmes." The "s" on Nîmes is not pronounced in French, so when the name of the fabric came into English, it was often written serge de Nim and later serge denim. In time this was shortened to simply denim.

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