calico

[kal-i-koh]

noun

plural

calicoes, calicos 

1. a plain-woven cotton cloth printed with a figured pattern, usually on one side.

2. British.,  plain white cotton cloth.

3. an animal having a spotted or particolored coat.

4. Obsolete.,  a figured cotton cloth from India.

adjective

1. made of calico.

2. resembling printed calico; spotted or mottled.

calico

/ ˈkælɪˌkəʊ /

noun

1. a white or unbleached cotton fabric with no printed design

2. a coarse printed cotton fabric

3. (modifier) made of calico

Word History and Origins

Origin of calico¹

1495–1505; short for Calico cloth, variant of Calicut cloth, named after city in India which originally exported it

Word History and Origins

Origin of calico¹

C16: based on Calicut, town in India

Example Sentences

One contributor wrote: "We are siblings in the first and third grades of elementary school. We donated with our pocket money. Use it for research on calico cats."

From BBC

"Here's my offering - the shorthair is a boy named Bob and the calico is a girl named Marley."

From BBC

Her mother filled out the Virginia shelter's online application for a supposedly bonded pair: a 1 1/2-year-old gray tabby and 2 1/2-year-old calico.

From Salon

Most orange cats are boys, a quirk of feline genetics that also explains why almost all calicos and tortoiseshells are girls.

From Science Magazine

The curious calico and her orange tomcat friend, Monu, had recently been sterilized and returned to the market.

From Salon

Related Words

• cotton 
• goods 
• material 
• stuff