† ˈcheyney Obs.
Also 7 cheney, cheany, 8 cheny.
[The same as cheney, variant of china (rather its Persian form chīnī); see china II. Cf. Littré, Chiné, étoffes chinées, f. chiner (with weavers) to give different colours to the threads of the warp, and arrange these so as to produce a pattern; It. ‘far i drappi alla Chinese’.]
A sort of worsted or woollen stuff.
| [1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 41 The Bannyans..sell Callicoes, Cheney Sattins, Cheney ware.] 1668 Child Disc. Trade (1694) 161 Colchester Bayes..Cheanyes, and some other sorts of Norwich Stuffs. c 1680 Polexfen in Coll. Poems 205 In stead of our Stuff, Serges, Cheyneys, and other Goods. 1701 Lond. Gaz. No. 3701/4 All sorts of Mercery Goods, viz. Bristol Stuffs, Toys..Shaloons..Silk Shags, Chenies..will be sold by Auction. 1757 Dyer Fleece iii. 107 Every airy woof, cheyney and baize and serge..and all the countless list Of woollen webs. |
In some passages it is associated with Philip and Cheny (also Philip, Hob, and Cheny): a phrase found from 16th c. in the sense of ‘Dick, Tom, and Harry’; see Philip.
| a 1616 Beaum. & Flet. Wit at Sev. Weapons ii. i, 'Twill put a lady scarce in Philip and cheyney, With three small bugle laces, like a chambermaid. 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Praise of Hempseed Wks. 64 No cloth of siluer, gold or tissue here, Philip and Cheiny neuer would appeare Within our bounds. 1650 Will of Brooke (Somerset Ho.) My red bed of Phillipp & China. |