calico
noun
cal·i·co
| \ ˈka-li-ˌkō
\
\
plural calicoes
or calicos
Definition of calico
1a
: 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
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Examples of calico in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Then there’s the sweet and playful Morning Glory, a dilute calico, and Yuki, who came in the other day. — Lilly Nguyen, Daily Pilot, "Catmosphere Laguna isn’t kitten around as it celebrates a year of rescuing the felines of Orange County," 9 Aug. 2019 Leopard crab The leopard crab, also known as a calico crab, has spots similar to leopard’s. — Liz Langley, National Geographic, "Imitation crab? Meet 6 creatures that steal others’ looks," 7 Aug. 2019 The two-year-old calico medium hair was brought to the Arizona Humane Society in early June of this year with four nursing kittens. — Arizona Republic, azcentral, "A sibling duo and more up for adoption in Phoenix-area shelters this week," 26 July 2019 From around the world fabrics like Indian calico and foods like sugar and coffee flowed into European retail shops. — Jeffrey Collins, WSJ, "‘Power, Pleasure, and Profit’ Review: Self-Mastery Versus Self-Interest," 5 Oct. 2018 But rare specimens can be bright blue, orange, yellow, calico, or even split-toned, like one found in Scarborough, Maine in July 2015. — Eli Meixler, Time, "A 'One-in-100 Million' Cotton Candy-Colored Lobster Was Found Near Maine," 14 June 2018 In the winter months, shelling is very popular for seekers of calico clams, cockles, and smoothed sea glass. — Amy Aumick, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Explore Florida's Escambia County: Escape Pensacola's bustle on Perdido Key," 7 May 2018 The common hamster, as the wild species is known, is about the size and shape of a sweet potato, with calico fur, beady dark eyes and half-moon ears. — Ben Crair, Smithsonian, "Why Are These Hamsters Cannibalizing Their Young?," 21 Feb. 2018 Some may even have a lovely Scottish brogue, and an ancient calico cat. — M. Carrie Allan, sacbee, "Not too shoddy: A mug of hot toddy | The Sacramento Bee," 23 Jan. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'calico.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for calico
calico
noun
English Language Learners Definition of calico
US
: a light, printed cotton cloth
British
: a heavy, plain white cotton cloth
US
: a cat that has white, brown, and black fur
See the full definition for calico in the English Language Learners Dictionary
calico
noun
cal·i·co
| \ ˈka-li-ˌkō\
plural calicoes
or calicos
Kids Definition of calico
1
: cotton cloth especially with a colored pattern printed on one side
2
: a blotched or spotted animal (as a cat)
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