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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

A Negro man in old-fashioned brogues and serge britches walked out of the light.

From New York Times ● Nov. 11, 2020

“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

The jacket of his blue serge suit was open, revealing a heavy gold chain linked between his vest pockets as he moved toward me with a noiseless tread.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

He already knew Serge Koussevitzky, who had conducted his music both in Paris and in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

One Ivorian musician who has managed to keep the music playing on in the junta-run nations is Serge Beynaud, who performed near the Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou at the end of September.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

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

For week three, he takes on Kasabian frontman Serge Pizzorno, who is a Leicester City fan.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

Three copies of this extract from the diary were kept by Marie Nikolaevna Obolenskii, V. G. Chertkov, and Serge Tolstoy.

From Autobiography of Countess Tolstoy by Sophie Andreevna Tolstoy

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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