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• serge
  serge

  noun

  a twilled worsted or woolen fabric used especially for clothing.
• Serge
  Serge

  noun

  a male given name.

serge

¹ American  

[surj] / sɜrdʒ /

noun

1. a twilled worsted or woolen fabric used especially for clothing.

2. cotton, rayon, or silk in a twill weave.

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serge ² American  

[surj] / sɜrdʒ /

verb (used with object)

serged, serging

1. to overcast (unfinished seams or edges, as in a fabric or rug), especially by machine, in order to prevent fraying.

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Serge ³ American  

[surj, serzh] / sɜrdʒ, sɛrʒ /

noun

1. a male given name.

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serge British  

/ sɜːdʒ /

noun

1. a twill-weave woollen or worsted fabric used for clothing

2. a similar twilled cotton, silk, or rayon fabric

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Etymology

Origin of serge¹

1350–1400; < French; replacing Middle English sarge < Middle French < Vulgar Latin *sārica, for Latin sērica ( lāna ) Chinese (wool), i.e., silk; see seric-

Origin of serge²

Perhaps to be identified with serge ¹, though sense shift is unclear

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

serge Serge serged serging

“Many of the long-stay male patients were poorly attired; the fronts of their thick serge shirts were heavily stained with food and there was a dearth of ties,” they wrote.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 25, 2019

Mina Van Winkle — the socialite social worker once known for her blue serge suit, white kid gloves, veil and “a faint hint of perfume” — died in 1933 at age 57.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 19, 2016

The man spots a Model-T pulling up and a young stranger getting out, dressed in a blue serge suit.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2012

It is a lot cheaper than spending big bucks with the physical therapist or orthopedist. — serge An important subject that deserves attention.

From New York Times ● Dec. 21, 2010

When they finally got the shell onto the dock, the boys trooped back onto the Manhattan, their serge coats soggy and their straw hats starting to droop, and waited for the formal disembarking.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

To the pulse of pop music, a Dachshund named Serge went down the catwalk in a woven pink poncho.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Serge has welcomed the BBC into his studio to preview Kasabian's ninth album, Act III, 10 days before its release.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

“Nobody knows Paze,” says Serge Elkiner, who runs it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

The show starred some of the most iconic post-war ballet dancers — Serge Golovine, Rosella Hightower, Jacqueline Moreau — but Vérots didn’t focus on them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

Four of us came from the rackety cities—the Partridge Hunter, the Blue Serge Man, the Pretty Lady, and Myself—a newspaper woman.

From The Sick-a-Bed Lady And Also Hickory Dock, The Very Tired Girl, The Happy-Day, Something That Happened in October, The Amateur Lover, Heart of The City, The Pink Sash, Woman's Only Business by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott

Buttonholes should be overcasted or serged as soon as cut, with fine thread or silk, the stitches should be light, loose and even, this is done with a slanting stitch.

From The Copeland Method A Complete Manual for Cleaning, Repairing, Altering and Pressing All Kinds of Garments for Men and Women, at Home or for Busines by Vanness Copeland

This method takes the place of serging or overcasting and is much better for thin ravelly goods.

From The Copeland Method A Complete Manual for Cleaning, Repairing, Altering and Pressing All Kinds of Garments for Men and Women, at Home or for Busines by Vanness Copeland

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