jean

noun

ˈjēn 

plural jeans

1

: a durable twilled cotton cloth used especially for sportswear and work clothes

2

usually jeans

ˈjēnz 

: pants usually made of denim or jean

… strolling with royal puppy Lupo through Kensington Gardens near the couple's two-bedroom cottage in a pair of jeans and rain boots.

—Alicia Dennis et al.

Millions of people today buy designer jeans for double the price of equally durable generic jeans …

—Jared Diamond

see also blue jeans, mom jeans

Examples of jean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kelce also got into the holiday spirit (once again), wearing a red denim set consisting of a jean jacket and slouchy jeans. —Marissa Muller, WWD, 29 Dec. 2024

Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen won’t defend his title at the International Chess Federation (FIDE) World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships because of a pair of jeans. —Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 28 Dec. 2024

Meanwhile, consumers continued to expand their collection of wide-leg jeans. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 27 Dec. 2024

Pair it with a classic pair of Levi’s jeans for a full Levi’s Americana look. —Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

short for jean fustian, from Middle English Gene Genoa, Italy + fustian

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing jean

• jean shorts

Kids Definition

jean

noun

ˈjēn 

1

: a heavy cotton cloth used especially for sportswear and work clothes

2

plural : pants made of jean, denim, or corduroy

Etymology

a shortened form of earlier jean fustian, literally "a fustian (heavy cotton cloth) from Genoa," from Middle English Gene "Genoa, Italy"