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Many fabrics have been named for the places where they were once made. Denim gets its name from Nîmes, a city in France famous for its textiles. But the name came about in an unusual way. The fabric, a heavy serge, was originally called serge de Nîmes, literally, “serge from Nîmes.” The “s” on Nîmes is not pronounced in French, so when the name of the fabric came into English, it was often written serge de Nim and later serge denim. In time, this was shortened to simply denim.
Examples of denim in a Sentence
Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 15 Apr. 2025
Its relaxed fit can easily be layered unbuttoned over a comfy tee, or be worn on its own tucked into some denim.
—Samantha Leal, Travel + Leisure, 24 Mar. 2025
Gloria Vanderbilt is a good brand for affordable, quality denim.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2025
Mirroring the intricate pattern of the pants, the shirt featured a short, boxy, oversize fit made of rigid cotton denim with a jacquard-weave pattern and a baggy, extra-loose silhouette.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for denim
Cite this Entry
“Denim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denim. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
denim
noun
from French (serge) de Nîmes "serge (fabric) from Nîmes (city in France)"
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