chenille

English

Chenille fabric on a sofa

Etymology

Borrowed from French chenille. Doublet of canicule.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃəˈniːl/
• Rhymes: -iːl

Noun

chenille (countable and uncountable, plural chenilles)

1. An extremely soft and bunchy fabric often used to make sweaters.
   • 1929, M. Barnard Eldershaw, A House is Built, Chapter VII, Section vi

     The house seemed unfamiliar in the dark stormy light; the red and purple glass of the front door made livid bruises on the linoleum; the green chenille curtain was like a veil of seaweed.

Anagrams

• Hellenic

---

French

Etymology

Inherited from Latin canīcula (“little dog”) (because of a caterpillar's head). Doublet of canicule.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃə.nij/, /knij/

• Audio (CAN):

  (file)

Noun

chenille f (plural chenilles)

1. caterpillar
2. chenille
3. caterpillar track, snow chain
4. whirligig (fairground attraction)

Descendants

• → Catalan: xenilla
• → English: chenille
• → Italian: ciniglia
• → Romanian: șenilă
• → Russian: шинель (šinelʹ)

See also

• mite
• papillon m

Further reading

• “chenille”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.