chinchilla

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish chinchilla.

noun

1. (countable) Either of two small, crepuscular rodents of the genus Chinchilla, native to the Andes, prized for their very soft fur and often kept as pets.
   It's important to put a lot of thought into owning a chinchilla since they have a considerably long lifespan of 10 to 20 years. Chinchillas are most widely known for their exceptional fur coat. 2004, Jamie Huggins, Chinchillas - from Pets to Profession, page 3
   Chinchillas inhabit high elevations (3,000–5,000m) of the Chilean Andes Mountains. The chinchillas kept as pet or research animals in North America are all descendents of 13 founders wild caught in 1927. 2008, Jeff Wyatt, “Chapter 17: Anesthesia and Analgesia in Other Mammals”, in Richard E. Fish, Marilyn J. Brown, Peggy J. Danneman, Alicia Z. Karas, editors, Anesthesia and Analgesia in Laboratory Animals, page 469
   Chinchillas are long-lived rodents that are native to South America, primarily Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile. The chinchilla is a hystricomorph (hedgehoglike) rodent closely related to guinea pigs, porcupines, and agoutis (Hrapkiewicz et al., 1998). 2009, Ron E. Banks, Julie M. Sharp, Sonia D. Doss, Deborah A. Vanderford, Exotic Small Mammal Care and Husbandry, page 125
2. (uncountable) The fur of a chinchilla, used for clothing.
3. A variety of Persian cat with white fur and green eyes.