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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
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
See All Example Sentences for denim
Cite this Entry
“Denim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denim. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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denim
noun
from French (serge) de Nîmes "serge (fabric) from Nîmes (city in France)"
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