a twilled worsted or woolen fabric used especially for clothing.
cotton, rayon, or silk in a twill weave.
a twill-weave woollen or worsted fabric used for clothing
a similar twilled cotton, silk, or rayon fabric
1350–1400; < French; replacing Middle English sarge < Middle French < Vulgar Latin *sārica, for Latin sērica ( lāna ) Chinese (wool), i.e., silk; see seric-
Perhaps to be identified with serge 1, though sense shift is unclear
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“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
A tank commander--Vasily Falin wore all his medals on his blue serge suit to the dinner we had in his honor at a restaurant in the city then called Leningrad.
From New York Times ● Nov. 15, 2017
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
He wore a blue serge suit and a white necktie stained with orange juice.
From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White
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
The doctor, identified as Peter Stafford of the Serge charity, had received care that included "experimental therapies currently being trialed for this type of virus", said the hospital.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
The doctor, his wife and another colleague had been treating patients when the outbreak started, Serge, the Christian missionary group they were working for, has said.
From BBC ● May 19, 2026
Those include an American missionary doctor, Peter Stafford, who contracted the disease while treating patients at Bunia’s Nyankunde Hospital, according to Serge, the international Christian organization that employed him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 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 Abbott, Eleanor Hallowell
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 Copeland, Vanness
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 Copeland, Vanness
Definitions 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.
