jean

¹ American  

[jeen, jeyn] / dʒin, dʒeɪn /

noun

1. Sometimes jeans a sturdy twilled fabric, usually of cotton.

2. (used with a plural verb) jeans,

   1. blue jeans.

   2. pants of various fabrics, styled or constructed like blue jeans.

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Jean ² American  

[zhahn, jeen] / ʒɑ̃, dʒin /

noun

1. 1921–2019, Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1964–2000.

2. a male given name, form of John.

3. a female given name.

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Jean ¹ British  

/ ʒɑ̃ /

noun

1. born 1921, full name Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano , grand duke of Luxembourg (1964–2000)

2. Michaelle. born 1957, in Haiti. Canadian stateswoman and broadcaster; governor-general from 2005

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jean ² British  

/ dʒiːn /

noun

1. a tough twill-weave cotton fabric used for hard-wearing trousers, overalls, etc See also jeans

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Usage

What does jean mean? The word jean refers to the kind of material used to make jeans, as in blue jeans—a type of pants.Jeans are traditionally made from denim, a kind of cotton fabric. Today, jeans are made from a variety of fabrics and fabric blends, but they’re still called jeans if they resemble denim blue jeans. In this way, the word jean isn’t commonly used as a name of a kind of material until after it’s been made into jeans.Jean is most commonly used as a modifier to describe garments that are made of denim or the kind of fabric that blue jeans are made of, as in jean shorts, jean jacket (also commonly called a denim jacket), and jean shirt.Example: I used to wear a jean jacket with a bunch of patches on it.

Other Word Forms

• jeaned adjective

Etymology

Origin of jean

1485–95; short for jean fustian, earlier Gene(s) fustian Genoese or Genoa fustian

Example Sentences

Yu recreated Hannah’s promo outfit, wearing a white jean jacket and pants combo, a sparkly pink top and a blond wig to round out the look.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

In May of that year, Epstein emailed Todt to say "jean, sorry it was so short and Terje did not give me any notice in advance to help with the fun".

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

“Syd’s Picks,” a collection of Sweeney’s favorite American Eagle items—including a low-rise jean, lace tank top and utility jacket—will continue to be featured on its website.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 30, 2025

Ultimately, someone named Cameron, who sported a jean jacket and scarf, received a cash prize of $50.

From Salon • Nov. 25, 2024

A girl comes by, wearing a ripped plaid vest and a white tank top, and jean cutoffs.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon