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

Score Dolce Vita ballet flats for just $10 and Amazon’s best-selling Levi's denim shorts for only $28 — down from $60. —Izzy Baskette, People.com, 8 July 2025

Even the music and hairstyles were divisive in the mid-1970s, not to mention the clothes — from the powder-blue leisure suits and skin-tight disco duds to denim, denim and more denim. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2025

Embroidery that evokes denim distressing (another Who Decides War staple) is scattered throughout the upper, while the Jumpman logo is superimposed above the Who Decides War window pane logo at the heel. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 July 2025

The fabrics, made with a cotton indigo warp and polyester weft, wash down like conventional denim. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 28 May 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.