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jean

1

[ jeen British formerly jeyn ]

noun

  1. Sometimes jeans. a sturdy twilled fabric, usually of cotton.
  2. jeans, (used with a plural verb)
    1. pants of various fabrics, styled or constructed like blue jeans. Compare Levi's.


Jean

2

[ French zhahn jeen ]

noun

  1. 1921–2019, Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1964–2000.
  2. a male given name, form of John.
  3. a female given name.

jean

1

/ ː /

noun

  1. a tough twill-weave cotton fabric used for hard-wearing trousers, overalls, etc See also jeans
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Jean

2

/ ɑ̃ /

noun

  1. Jean1921MLuxembourgPOLITICS: hereditary ruler born 1921, full name Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano , grand duke of Luxembourg (1964–2000)
  2. JeanMichaelle1957FCanadianHaitiPOLITICS: stateswomanFILMS AND TV: broadcaster Michaelle. born 1957, in Haiti. Canadian stateswoman and broadcaster; governor-general from 2005
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Word Forms

  • jeaned adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of jean1

1485–95; short for jean fustian, earlier Gene(s) fustian Genoese or Genoa fustian
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Word History and Origins

Origin of jean1

C16: short for jean fustian, from Gene Genoa
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Marin wears a crisp blue denim jacket and jeans, his arms folded.

From

Founded in 1981 by the Marciano brothers, Guess makes jeans, accessories and other apparel sourced from more than 20 countries, with one-third of its products coming out of China, according to a regulatory filing.

From

For those unclear on how paying way more for bananas and blue jeans will boost your testosterone, well, the tortured justification they offer isn't helpful.

From

There were pairs of jeans I bought 10 years ago when I was unhealthy that didn’t fit me anymore.

From

As the singers recount, he wears big black jeans and combat boots on the beach, comically.

From

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More About Jean

doesjean mean?

The word jean refers to the kind of material used to make jeans, as in blue jeans—a type of pants.

Jeans are traditionally made from denim, a kind of cotton fabric. Today, jeans are made from a variety of fabrics and fabric blends, but they’re still called jeans if they resemble denim blue jeans. In this way, the word jean isn’t commonly used as a name of a kind of material until after it’s been made into jeans.

Jean is most commonly used as a modifier to describe garments that are made of denim or the kind of fabric that blue jeans are made of, as in jean shorts, jean jacket (also commonly called a denim jacket), and jean shirt.

Example: I used to wear a jean jacket with a bunch of patches on it.

Where doesjean come from?

The first records of the word jean in reference to a kind of fabric come from around the 1500s. The first pants called jeans were produced by tailor Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss of Levi Strauss & Co. 𱹾’s, as they came to be called, were originally created for and used by miners.

The word jean is derived from the term jean fustian, in which fustian refers to a kind of fabric and jean comes from Gene, in reference to Genoa, Italy—where such fabric was known for being manufactured.

Interestingly, the origin of the word denim is also based on a place name. It comes from the French phrase (serge) de î, in which serge refers to a kind of fabric and î refers to the city in France once known for its manufacture.

Wearing “double denim”—jeans with a jean shirt or jean jacket—is sometimes known as a Canadian tuxedo.

Did you know ... ?

are some other forms related to jean?

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are some words that share a root or word element with jean?

are some words that often get used in discussing jean?

How isjean used in real life?

Jean is most commonly used in terms like jean jacket, jean shorts, and jean shirt.

Try usingjean!

True or False?

You can totally pull off wearing jeans with a jean jacket.

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jealousyJean de Meung