jean en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (UK) audio
- /d͡ʒeɪn/ (obsolete)
- /d͡ʒiːn/
- jēn
- jān (obsolete)
Etymology
From the Middle English Gene (“Genoa”), from the Old French Jannes. Bleu de Gênes (“Genovese blue”) was a blue dye made in Genoa used to tint the denim cloth produced in Nîmes (de Nîmes). Doublet of Genoa and Geneva and distantly related to knee.
Meanings
-
(attributive, countable, uncountable) Denim.
She wore a tattered jean jacket.
Lastly, he took out a common frock of coarse dark jean, which he drew over his own under-clothing; and a felt hat—he had purposely left his own upstairs.
1843, Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| jeans | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
bejeaned · satin jean · jeans · jean jacket · jort · jeaned