calico

noun

cal·​i·​co ˈka-li-ˌkō 

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

Meet Arista, a gorgeous calico girl with playful eyes and a soft demeanor, who was saved from attempting to survive alone on the streets. —Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025

Some of these, such as Lohan’s calico hair, are making a resurgence today. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 31 July 2025

Female cats have two X-chromosomes, one of which is randomly inactivated early in embryonic development on a cell-by-cell basis (figures 1 & 2), giving rise to tortoiseshell or calico fur color patterns. —Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

Those who make the quick journey are rewarded by three miles of pristine shoreline covered with shells, including calico scallops, sand dollars, moon snail shells, and lightning whelks. —Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 24 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Calicut, India

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing calico

• calico bass
• calico bush

Rhymes for calico

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calypso
• cameo
• ceo

Kids Definition

calico

noun

cal·​i·​co ˈkal-i-ˌkō 

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