inseam

American  

[in-seem] / ˈɪnˌsim /

noun

inseams plural

1. an inside or inner seam of a garment, especially the seam of a trouser leg that runs from the crotch down to the bottom of the leg.

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adjective

1. of or relating to such a seam.

   inseam measurements.

2. (of a pocket) placed at or sewn to an opening in the seam of a garment, usually the side seam, so as to lie completely inside the garment.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• inseams
  plural

Etymology

Origin of inseam

First recorded in 1905–10; in- ¹ + seam

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inseam inseams

Trying to figure out if a pair of jeans will flatter by looking at professional photos and inseam measurements is hard enough.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 16, 2024

Imagine these circus tents entering the always contentious inseam debates of the 2020s.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2023

Streelman did this after he considered that his legs are kind of short and that the putter length should reflect his 28-inch inseam.

From Golf Digest ● Jul. 24, 2017

Since he could not have his first choice of his comfortable jail jumpsuit, he wanted two-tone gray pants, inseam 29, not 30, so they wouldn’t hang over his shoes.

From Washington Times ● May 17, 2017

To sew in a particular manner; to inseam.

From The Dialect of the West of England; Particularly Somersetshire by Jennings, James

Hems, inseams, darts and vents are all details hidden beneath the surface of a garment, but much like the body’s skeletal system, they make up the essential, inconspicuous infrastructure on which a suit hangs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2025

Boorady, who began researching technical gear in 1991, said in her research she found several companies only offer two inseams or sleeve lengths.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2024

She put strips of fabric fastener on the inseams of the jeans, and she replaced the button and zipper on the front with the same.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2023

Women, presumably wearing something fashionably long and baggy, will look back at their teensy shorts with the 1.75-inch inseams and wonder, “What the heck was I thinking?”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2017

For years after, the subject of inseams inspired older observers of the game to fret: How low could they go?

From Washington Post ● Jan. 21, 2016