chenille

English

Chenille fabric on a sofa

Etymology

Borrowed from French chenille. Doublet of canicule.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃəˈniːl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• 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.

Derived terms

• chenille plant

Translations

extremely soft and bunchy fabric often used to make sweater

• French: chenille (fr) f
• Polish: szenila f
• Russian: шени́лл (ru) m (šeníll)

Anagrams

• Hellenic

Finnish

Etymology

< French chenille

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃenil/, [ˈʃe̞nil]
• IPA^(key): /ˈʃenilːe/, [ˈʃe̞nilːe̞]

Noun

chenille

1. chenille (type of fabric)

Declension

Inflection of chenille (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		chenille	chenillet
genitive		chenillen	chenillejen
partitive		chenillea	chenilleja
illative		chenilleen	chenilleihin
		singular	plural
nominative		chenille	chenillet
accusative	nom.	chenille	chenillet
	gen.	chenillen
genitive		chenillen	chenillejen chenillein rare
partitive		chenillea	chenilleja
inessive		chenillessa	chenilleissa
elative		chenillesta	chenilleista
illative		chenilleen	chenilleihin
adessive		chenillella	chenilleilla
ablative		chenillelta	chenilleilta
allative		chenillelle	chenilleille
essive		chenillena	chenilleina
translative		chenilleksi	chenilleiksi
abessive		chenilletta	chenilleitta
instructive		—	chenillein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of chenille (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative chenilleni chenilleni accusative nom. chenilleni chenilleni gen. chenilleni genitive chenilleni chenillejeni chenilleini rare partitive chenilleani chenillejani inessive chenillessani chenilleissani elative chenillestani chenilleistani illative chenilleeni chenilleihini adessive chenillellani chenilleillani ablative chenilleltani chenilleiltani allative chenillelleni chenilleilleni essive chenillenani chenilleinani translative chenillekseni chenilleikseni abessive chenillettani chenilleittani instructive — — comitative — chenilleineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative chenillesi chenillesi accusative nom. chenillesi chenillesi gen. chenillesi genitive chenillesi chenillejesi chenilleisi rare partitive chenilleasi chenillejasi inessive chenillessasi chenilleissasi elative chenillestasi chenilleistasi illative chenilleesi chenilleihisi adessive chenillellasi chenilleillasi ablative chenilleltasi chenilleiltasi allative chenillellesi chenilleillesi essive chenillenasi chenilleinasi translative chenilleksesi chenilleiksesi abessive chenillettasi chenilleittasi instructive — — comitative — chenilleinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative chenillemme chenillemme accusative nom. chenillemme chenillemme gen. chenillemme genitive chenillemme chenillejemme chenilleimme rare partitive chenilleamme chenillejamme inessive chenillessamme chenilleissamme elative chenillestamme chenilleistamme illative chenilleemme chenilleihimme adessive chenillellamme chenilleillamme ablative chenilleltamme chenilleiltamme allative chenillellemme chenilleillemme essive chenillenamme chenilleinamme translative chenilleksemme chenilleiksemme abessive chenillettamme chenilleittamme instructive — — comitative — chenilleinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative chenillenne chenillenne accusative nom. chenillenne chenillenne gen. chenillenne genitive chenillenne chenillejenne chenilleinne rare partitive chenilleanne chenillejanne inessive chenillessanne chenilleissanne elative chenillestanne chenilleistanne illative chenilleenne chenilleihinne adessive chenillellanne chenilleillanne ablative chenilleltanne chenilleiltanne allative chenillellenne chenilleillenne essive chenillenanne chenilleinanne translative chenilleksenne chenilleiksenne abessive chenillettanne chenilleittanne instructive — — comitative — chenilleinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative chenillensa chenillensa accusative nom. chenillensa chenillensa gen. chenillensa genitive chenillensa chenillejensa chenilleinsa rare partitive chenilleaan chenilleansa chenillejaan chenillejansa inessive chenillessaan chenillessansa chenilleissaan chenilleissansa elative chenillestaan chenillestansa chenilleistaan chenilleistansa illative chenilleensa chenilleihinsa adessive chenillellaan chenillellansa chenilleillaan chenilleillansa ablative chenilleltaan chenilleltansa chenilleiltaan chenilleiltansa allative chenillelleen chenillellensa chenilleilleen chenilleillensa essive chenillenaan chenillenansa chenilleinaan chenilleinansa translative chenillekseen chenilleksensa chenilleikseen chenilleiksensa abessive chenillettaan chenillettansa chenilleittaan chenilleittansa instructive — — comitative — chenilleineen chenilleinensa

French

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃə.nij/, /ʃnij/
• (Quebec) IPA^(key): /ʃə.nɪj/, /ʃnɪj/

• Audio (Canada):

  (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: шине́ль (šinélʹ), шени́лл (šeníll)

See also

• mite
• papillon m

Further reading

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