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.
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
“velvety cord,” 1738, from French chenille, properly “caterpillar,” literally “little dog” (13c.), from Latin canicula “a dog” (also “a violent woman; the star Sirius; the worst throw in dice”), diminutive of canis “dog” (see canine (n.)). So called for its furry look. Cf. caterpillar.