“Buy jean by the yard at the fabric store.”
Usage Entry 1274 / 1350 60-second read
Denim vs. Jean
A type of sturdy cotton twill fabric versus trousers made of it (and also a fabric name in old usage).
The comparisoni
“Buy denim by the yard at the fabric store. Jeans (plural) are the trousers.”
The ruleii
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DENIM = fabric. JEANS = trousers.
DENIM is a sturdy cotton twill fabric, typically blue (from indigo). JEANS is the trousers made from denim — always plural in modern use. "Jean" in older usage was also a fabric name, but modern language reserves it for trousers.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Denim = cloth. Jeans = pants.