[shuh-neel] 
| 1. | a velvety cord or yarn of silk or worsted, for embroidery, fringes, etc. |
| 2. | fabric made with a fringed silken thread used as the weft in combination with wool or cotton. |
| 3. | any fabric with a protruding pile, as in certain rayon bedspreads. |
| 4. | a deep-pile, durable, woolen carpeting with chenille weft: the most expensive power-loomed floor covering. |
| che·nille (shə-nēl') n.
[French chenille, caterpillar, chenille, from Latin canīcula, diminutive of canis, dog; see kwon- in Indo-European roots.] |