A small rodent (Chinchilla lanigera), of the size of a large squirrel, remarkable for its fine fur, which is very soft and of a pearly gray color. It is a native of Peru and Chili. [1913 Webster]
chinchilla, n.
1 a any small rodent of the genus Chinchilla, native to S. America, having soft silver-grey fur and a bushy tail. b its highly valued fur.
2 a breed of cat or rabbit.