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

From floor-scraping denim at Dries Van Noten’s autumn/winter 2024 show to Natasha Zinko’s pre-fall 2025 collection, the humble flare has gotten so slouchy the hem is practically under the shoe. —Daisy Jones, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025

The Jean Bar is an interactive denim decorating experience including custom embroidery and exclusive design workshops that let customers explore both creativity and fashion as art. —Essence, 24 Jan. 2025

Even the utterance can elicit groans of those who once loathed the feel of skin-tight denim all the way to the ankles. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2025

One attendee paired a simple beret with an oversized denim and jacket—both trimmed with silver studs. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 12 Feb. 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.