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chenille
[ shuh-neel ]
/ ʃəˈnil /
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noun
a velvety cord or yarn of silk or worsted, for embroidery, fringes, etc.
fabric made with a fringed silken thread used as the weft in combination with wool or cotton.
any fabric with a protruding pile, as in certain rayon bedspreads.
a deep-pile, durable, woolen carpeting with chenille weft: the most expensive power-loomed floor covering.
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Origin of chenille
1730–40; <French: velvety cord, literally, caterpillar <Latin canīcula, with etymological sense “little dog,” though attested only in senses “shrewish woman, dogfish, Sirius” (see canicular); for parallel use of “cat” in same sense, see caterpillar
Words nearby chenille
Cheney, Chengchow, Chengde, Chengdu, chenier, chenille, chenille plant, Chenin Blanc, Chennai, Chennault, chenopod
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use chenille in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for chenille
chenille
/ (ʃəˈniːl) /
noun
a thick soft tufty silk or worsted velvet cord or yarn used in embroidery and for trimmings, etc
a fabric of such yarn
a rich and hard-wearing carpet of such fabric
Word Origin for chenille
C18: from French, literally: hairy caterpillar, from Latin canicula, diminutive of canis dog
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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