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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
Euna Park, Southern Living, 19 May 2024
To celebrate the launch of the Joe’s Jeans new soft rigid denim, the brand's creative director, celebrity stylist Dani Michelle, joined forces for a multi-generational campaign for Mother’s Day.
—Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near denim
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“Denim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denim. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
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denim
noun
from French (serge) de Nîmes "serge (fabric) from Nîmes (city in France)"
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