noun
chinchilla
A rabbit breed with a silvery-gray coat resembling a chinchilla's fur.
The chinchilla rabbit has a soft, silvery-gray coat.
Etymology
The rabbit breed borrows the rodent’s name because its silvery-gray coat resembles chinchilla fur. The connection is coat appearance rather than close animal ancestry.
More examples
- She raises chinchillas for the local rabbit show.
- Our chinchilla shares a hutch with two other rabbits.
- The judge examines the chinchilla rabbit's coat and body shape.
Forms
chinchilla · chinchillas
Similar words
- chinchilla rabbit
- Explicitly identifies the rabbit breed rather than the rodent.
- rabbit
- Names the animal generally, without specifying breed or coat.