jean

noun

ˈjēn 

plural jeans

1

: a durable twilled cotton cloth used especially for sportswear and work clothes

2

usually jeans

ˈjēnz 

: pants usually made of denim or jean

… strolling with royal puppy Lupo through Kensington Gardens near the couple's two-bedroom cottage in a pair of jeans and rain boots.

—Alicia Dennis et al.

Millions of people today buy designer jeans for double the price of equally durable generic jeans …

—Jared Diamond

see also blue jeans, mom jeans

Examples of jean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The singer and actress added on a pair of flared jeans, completing her look with pink velvet Dolce & Gabbana peep-toe platforms. —Hannah Malach, WWD, 17 Dec. 2024

Also many members of the denim fraternity complain that the length of jeans should be longer in order to have deeper turn-ups. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 16 Dec. 2024

Wear it on its own with a mini skirt, or layer it with a leather jacket and wide-leg jeans. —Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024

Affleck cleaned up nicely in a black suit (a welcome departure from his usual Dunkin’ run attire), while Garner kept it real in her signature casual-cool combo of jeans, a black jacket, and sneakers. —Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 15 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

short for jean fustian, from Middle English Gene Genoa, Italy + fustian

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing jean

• jean shorts

Kids Definition

jean

noun

ˈjēn 

1

: a heavy cotton cloth used especially for sportswear and work clothes

2

plural : pants made of jean, denim, or corduroy

Etymology

a shortened form of earlier jean fustian, literally "a fustian (heavy cotton cloth) from Genoa," from Middle English Gene "Genoa, Italy"