denim

noun

den·im ˈde-nəm

: a firm durable twilled usually cotton fabric woven with colored warp and white filling threads

: a similar fabric woven in colored stripes

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 The result is a slimmer style that looks more like classic denim, but is designed to keep you warm all winter long. —

Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023 Maybe she’s been looking for a solid pair of jeans, and could use some new denim. —

Olivia Bria, Glamour, 24 Oct. 2023 Sherpa warmth on the inside, sleek denim on the outside. —

Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2023 Rajni Jacques, the global head of fashion and beauty at Snapchat was in attendance in a tonal denim on denim look. —

Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 20 Oct. 2023 Kim Kardashian has shape wear at Skims; Khloé Kardashian has denim at Good American. —

Christian Allaire, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2023 Carey's diva fashion sense — see her Y2K take on double denim and crimped curls from the summer — recently received a holiday makeover for her new campaign with The Children's Place. —

Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 23 Oct. 2023 This Prime Big Deal Days—running from October 10 to 11—includes major discounts on chic fall dresses, including maxi styles, sweater dresses, and more that will look so cute with your favorite denim or leather jacket. —

Terri Peters, Parents, 9 Oct. 2023 Gloomy consumer spending has hit retailers like Macy’s and Nordstrom as high prices and borrowing rates squeeze budgets, denting demand for Levi’s denims bottoms, tops and cargo pants. —

Reuters, CNN, 5 Oct. 2023 See More

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

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Denim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denim. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

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Kids Definition

denim

noun

den·im ˈden-əm

: a firm durable twilled usually cotton fabric

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.