French word

chenille

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃənij/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncaterpillar

Example

J'ai trouvé une chenille sur ma veste.

I found a caterpillar on my jacket.

Illustration for chenille (caterpillar)

More examples

Une chenille sur une feuille a attiré son attention.

A caterpillar on a leaf attracted his attention.

Core concept

A fuzzy, segmented form that crawls as a larva and is echoed by the soft, tufted surface of a textile.

Common phrases

  • une chenille sur une feuille

    a caterpillar on a leaf

  • attraper une chenille

    catch a caterpillar

  • observer une chenille

    observe a caterpillar

Similar words

insecte: A small animal with legs, antennae, and a protective outer skeleton.
tissu: Woven material used to make clothing and household items.

Definition in French

Larve d'insecte au corps segmenté, généralement couverte de poils ou de soies et observable avant la métamorphose en papillon ou en mite.

Word origin

French chenille descends from Old French chenille and ultimately Latin canicula, "little dog"; the name later extended to a fuzzy textile resembling the insect's appearance.

Usage tips

  • For the textile sense, en chenille commonly follows the material noun, as in une écharpe en chenille.

Other meanings

  • chenillenoun

Word lists with this word