calico

noun

cal·​i·​co ˈka-li-ˌkō How to pronounce calico (audio)
plural calicoes or calicos
1
a
: cotton cloth imported from India
b
British : a plain white cotton fabric that is heavier than muslin
c
: any of various cheap cotton fabrics with figured patterns
2
: a blotched or spotted animal
especially : one that is predominantly white with red and black patches
calico adjective

Examples of calico in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The dilute tortoiseshell calico is a rescue cat who has experienced a lot in her five years on Earth. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 31 Jan. 2024 Dilute calicos have a lighter coloring than most calico cats. The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024 Animal: Eden, 2-year-old, 7-pound female domestic shorthair cat with a calico coat. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2023 Painting calico and sticking it down with glue might not sound terribly sophisticated, but frankly, who cares? Jermaine Gallacher, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2023 The kitten's foster mom, NoCo Kitties volunteer Alli Magish, took in the little calico cat, his mom, Amber, and his four siblings, including his two calico sisters. Erin Udell, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2023 Sally and her kittens, Cruz Ramirez (calico), Chick Hicks (calico), Tow Mater (red tabby), and Mack (red tabby) are now ready to find their forever homes! The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 15 Oct. 2022 Zora, a calico who works in Atlanta’s fast-growing film industry, is taking cat-food-modeling jobs in Tennessee. Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2023 Stella is a dilute calico – meaning her coloring is more muted than most calico cats. Karen Jones, cleveland, 3 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'calico.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Calicut, India

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of calico was in 1578

Dictionary Entries Near calico

Cite this Entry

“Calico.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calico. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

calico

noun
cal·​i·​co ˈkal-i-ˌkō How to pronounce calico (audio)
plural calicoes or calicos
1
: cotton cloth especially with a colored pattern printed on one side
2
: a blotched or spotted animal
a calico cat
calico adjective
Etymology

named for Calicut, a city in India, which exported such cloth

More from Merriam-Webster on calico

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