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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
Essence, 29 Oct. 2024
Kaufman describes their denim, made in Italy, as having a unique twist seam that gives it a slight bell-bottom effect—a small but impactful design detail.
—Cassell Ferere, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
Plenty of celebrities seem to agree; Selena Gomez and Jessica Alba have both been photographed in high-waisted, wide-leg denim, while Reese Witherspoon wore a bootcut pair to a Hello Sunshine event this fall.
—Esme Benjamin, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024
Take inspiration from Beyoncé’s album cover art, music videos or new Levi’s campaign and create an ensemble full of denim and leather, accessorising with statement cowboy boots, star motifs and a customised sash.
—Victoria Montalti, refinery29.com, 17 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for denim 
Dictionary Entries Near denim
Cite this Entry
“Denim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denim. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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denim
noun
from French (serge) de Nîmes "serge (fabric) from Nîmes (city in France)"
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