Chin-chĭl'la, n.

noun

n. [Sp. chinchilla, according to its form a diminutive of chinche. See supra.] (Zool.) A small rodent animal (Chinchilla lanigera), of the size of a large squirrel, chiefly remarkable for its fine fur, which is very soft and of a pearly-gray color. It is a native of Peru and Chili.

An illustration of a chinchilla sitting with its long tail curled behind it. — Chinchilla.