denim

American  

[den-uhm] / ˈdɛn əm /

noun

1. a heavy, Z-twist, twill cotton for jeans, overalls, and other work and leisure garments.

2. a similar fabric of finer quality, for covering cushions, furniture, etc.

3. (used with a plural verb) denims, a garment, especially trousers or overalls, made of denim.

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denim British  

/ ˈdɛnɪm /

noun

1. 1. a hard-wearing twill-weave cotton fabric used for trousers, work clothes, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a denim jacket

2. 1. a similar lighter fabric used in upholstery

   2. ( as modifier )

      denim cushion covers

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Etymology

Origin of denim

1685–95; < French: short for serge de Nîmes serge of Nîmes

Explanation

Denim is a kind of heavy cotton material that's used to make jeans. Denim is usually dark blue, and mostly used to make durable work wear, like jeans and overalls. In some places, people call blue jeans denims. The word comes from a French phrase serge de Nîmes, "serge from Nîmes, France." "Serge" is a sturdy twill fabric, and Nîmes is a town where it was famously made. Denim was first used in American English around 1850.

Example Sentences

As he spoke, a woman in a blue denim dress wiped tears from her eyes as another woman squeezed her shoulder in comfort.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

A pivotal experience for Grede was launching the Good American denim label in 2016 and ordering too little inventory because she underestimated demand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The denim maker said the amount of product it got through the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping lane that Iran has largely locked down, was “very, very minor.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 5, 2026

The same could be said for shares of denim giant Levi Strauss.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

He was young, wearing long denim shorts and a white tank top.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers