chenille

/ʃəˈniːl/

Etymology

Borrowed from French chenille. Doublet of canicule.

Why this word is great

CHENILLE — [Noun] A luxuriously textured yarn or fabric characterized by its fuzzy, caterpillar-like pile. From French chenille ("caterpillar"), originally meaning "little dog" (from Latin canicula, diminutive of canis, "dog"), due to the resemblance of the yarn's texture to caterpillar fur. Unlike "mohair" (with its sleek, angular halo) or "bouclé" (whose loops form deliberate patterns), chenille is a study in controlled wildness—each strand a riot of plush tufts that cling yet separate under the fingers. It is the upholstery of a well-worn reading chair, the border of a nursery blanket softened by countless washings, the way twilight settles unevenly across a hillside—a testament to beauty wrought from haphazard grace.

noun

  1. An extremely soft and bunchy fabric often used to make sweaters.“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.”