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 colors to the threads of the warp, and arrange these so as to produce a pattern; It. ‘far i drappi alla Chinese.’] A sort worsted or woollen stuff.
[1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 41. The Bannyans … sell Callicoes, Cheney Sattin, 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. & Fl., 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.
