Illustration of chinchilla
chinchilla
noun
chin·chil·la
chin-ˈchi-lə 
1
: either of two small South American rodents (Chinchilla laniger and C. brevicaudata of the family Chinchillidae) of the high Andes that are the size of large squirrels, have very soft pearly-gray fur, and are extensively bred in captivity
also
: the fur of a chinchilla
2
: a heavy twilled woolen coating
Examples of chinchilla in a Sentence
The collar of the coat is chinchilla.
Recent Examples on the Web
From chinchillas to capybaras, the rodent comparisons sped across social media like a runaway wheel of cheese, warping the image (and perhaps the confidence) of many popular, young white male celebrities in its path.
—
Leah Dolan, CNN, 14 June 2024
As of Thursday, Baker said the chickens, hedgehogs and chinchillas have been adopted, and nearly all of the larger animals have been placed in foster care.
—Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
Humane Society Executive Director Karen Baker said 32 dogs, five cats, six chickens, six parakeets, four chinchillas, two hedgehogs, one rabbit, one rat and one mouse were moved to the animal shelter following the fire.
—Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
There were also pictures of their young son holding his chinchilla, petting a horse and hanging out on a houseboat with his friend.
—Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 2 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chinchilla 
Leah Dolan, CNN, 14 June 2024
As of Thursday, Baker said the chickens, hedgehogs and chinchillas have been adopted, and nearly all of the larger animals have been placed in foster care.
—Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
Humane Society Executive Director Karen Baker said 32 dogs, five cats, six chickens, six parakeets, four chinchillas, two hedgehogs, one rabbit, one rat and one mouse were moved to the animal shelter following the fire.
—Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2024
There were also pictures of their young son holding his chinchilla, petting a horse and hanging out on a houseboat with his friend.
—Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 2 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chinchilla
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chinchilla.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Chinchilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chinchilla. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chinchilla
noun
chin·chil·la
chin-ˈchil-ə
: a South American rodent that is the size of a large squirrel and is widely bred in captivity for its very soft fur of a pearly gray color
also
: its fur
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