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

The denim giant provided the upbeat outlook, as well as its fiscal first-quarter results, as Wall Street tries to assess the war’s impact on consumer demand.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Breaking Rust, Cain Walker, Aventhis, and Outlaw Gospel have more in common that cowboy hats, denim and leather.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 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

But it doesn’t matter, just grab your best tight denim and thick leatherware and enter Club Bahia’s famed “Summer in Van Nuys Room,” for a night of pure heat, lunges and Nama-staying hydrated.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

With my cousin’s tiny fist clutching my denim shorts and Emma beside me, we head for the parking lot.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller