noun
chinchilla
A cat variety with a silvery coat tipped with darker hairs.
The chinchilla cat's pale coat glitters with dark tips on individual hairs.
Etymology
The rodent’s name was transferred to a cat’s coat variety. The silvery fur with dark tipping resembles the soft gray fur associated with the chinchilla.
More examples
- A silver chinchilla lounges on the windowsill.
- The breeder brushes the chinchilla's long fur.
- The cat show includes several chinchillas.
Forms
chinchilla · chinchillas
Similar words
- tabby
- Tabby usually describes striped or patterned markings; chinchilla denotes a pale coat with dark-tipped hairs.