denim

noun

den·​im ˈde-nəm How to pronounce denim (audio)
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 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bendet said the inspiration for the spring 2026 denim came from her mother. Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025 Cone is also introducing a new generation of performance stretch denim built on an innovative, proprietary combination of Lycra Adaptiv, Coolmax EcoMade and Tencel. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 15 Oct. 2025 The quarterback's wife, 30, rocked denim designed with details that paid tribute to the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback. Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025 This silhouette is the perfect choice for those who want to dress up their denim or add some extra height to the frame (the high-rise flare silhouette elongates the legs!). Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for denim

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Denim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denim. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

denim

noun
den·​im ˈden-əm How to pronounce denim (audio)
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.

More from Merriam-Webster on denim

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