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

Following her big night at the Met Gala, Teyana Taylor leaves her Upper East Side hotel in full denim on May 6. 107 of 120 On Pointe Étoile co-stars Simon Callow and Luke Kirby attend an Emmy FYC event to promote their new Amazon Prime show. —Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 9 May 2025

From classic denim designs to vibrant colorways and distressed finishes, flared jeans find their perfect ally in platform shoes. —René Chávez Esparza, Glamour, 27 Apr. 2025

By blending the fibers with modal, the collection achieves rich denim shades of blue and black (baby blue, medium blue and black/grey), without the use of indigo rope dyeing. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 22 Apr. 2025

Related Articles The quick social media-friendly ads feature Knowles-Carter in ways that further Levi’s current business imperatives — like its growing women’s business or head-to-toe denim dressing — and open a window on the brand’s deep past. —Evan Clark, WWD, 14 Mar. 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.