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denim

Etymology and origin of the English word denim

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈdɛnɪm/ (UK); /ˈdɛnəm/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is a shortening of French serge de Nîmes (“serge of Nîmes”),[2][3][4][5][6] from the town in southern France where the cloth was made.[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A kind of serge (1695).[7][4][3]

Semantic evolution

The name moved from a woollen serge to a coloured twilled cotton cloth, a use recorded by 1850 in American English.[5][4][7] The plural denims for trousers or overalls made of the fabric is recorded from 1868.[4][5]

Timeline

  • 1695 – a kind of serge.[7][4][3]
  • 1850 – a coarse twilled cotton cloth (American).[5][4]
  • 1868 – denims, overalls or trousers of denim.[4][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A sturdy twilled cotton cloth, usually blue, used for jeans and work clothes.
  2. (plural) Trousers or overalls made of this cloth.
  3. A finer similar fabric used for upholstery.

Word family

  • denimed
  • jeans

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  5. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Denim.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/denim. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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