calico
Americannoun
plural
calicoes, calicos-
a plain-woven cotton cloth printed with a figured pattern, usually on one side.
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British. plain white cotton cloth.
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an animal having a spotted or particolored coat.
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Obsolete. a figured cotton cloth from India.
adjective
-
made of calico.
-
resembling printed calico; spotted or mottled.
noun
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a white or unbleached cotton fabric with no printed design
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a coarse printed cotton fabric
-
(modifier) made of calico
Etymology
Origin of calico
1495–1505; short for Calico cloth, variant of Calicut cloth, named after city in India which originally exported it
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Lizards, skinks and dragons were secured in calico bags. These bags were concealed in bags of popcorn, biscuit tins and a women's handbag and placed inside cardboard boxes," the statement said.
From Barron's
“Gross!” she says, surveying the calico blobs on her clothes.
From Literature
It’s about the size of a ruler and covered in a tapestry of calico fur.
From Literature
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
