denim
Americannoun
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a heavy, Z-twist, twill cotton for jeans, overalls, and other work and leisure garments.
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a similar fabric of finer quality, for covering cushions, furniture, etc.
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(used with a plural verb) denims, a garment, especially trousers or overalls, made of denim.
noun
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a hard-wearing twill-weave cotton fabric used for trousers, work clothes, etc
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( as modifier )
a denim jacket
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a similar lighter fabric used in upholstery
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( 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.
Vocabulary lists containing denim
Blue
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Fabulous Fabrics
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for July 13–July 19, 2024
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The pants, made from stiffer denim, proved to be slightly easier, and the robot finished the task in a little over a minute.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
On a rainy Thursday in Broken Bow, buyers clad in cowboy hats, plaid shirts and denim gathered for the regular indoor cattle auction.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Sales slowed, however, after ultra-low-rise stretchy jeans and premium denim gained popularity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
At the same time, everyday accessories and clothing have been introduced, along with denim, humour and pop references.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
The concrete patio bakes my skin through my denim shorts.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
