Definition of "chenille" [che•nille]

• A soft tufted cord of silk, cotton, or worsted used in embroidery or for fringing. (noun)
• Fabric made of this cord, commonly used for bedspreads or rugs. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "On one side of the door, framed and glazed, was a large coat of arms of the Kittery family, worked in chenille and embroidery, – the labor of Miss Deborah's hands during the course of her early education."
• "This summer after getting reports of six deaths, the Blair company recalled chenille robes that it sold through its online and retail stores because they failed to meet federal flammability standards."
• "If they weave cloth of it, that's called chenille too."