denim

noun

den·​im ˈde-nəm 

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

ˈde-nəmd 

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

Washes vary from tinted stone wash and blue-black to Forever Black, which is created with lower-impact techniques that use less water and less energy than traditional denim. —Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 29 Oct. 2025

This specific cut has a comfy, relaxed fit that still shows off your best features, and is made with a slightly-stretchy comfort denim that won’t dig into you during the day. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2025

Using Australian wools, classic jean hues were used for the 100 pure wool fabrics — which the company said reproduces the style and look of traditional denim, enhanced by the softness, warmth and comfort that comes from using merino wools. —Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025

Even something as clockable as Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner in denim and blonde wigs and posing with a puppy and pitch fork needed a little something-something (in this case, a fake farm backdrop) to tie their Simple Life costumes together. —Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French (serge) de Nîmes serge of Nîmes, France

First Known Use

1695, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for denim

• plenum
• venom
• imipenem

Kids Definition

denim

noun

den·​im ˈden-əm 

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.