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 Zia, my dilute calico who enjoys chasing droplets of water in the tub and lying flat on her back, like a fluffy rug in a log cabin.
—
Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
Seacoast Science Center is now home to lobsters of several different variations of orange, blue, calico, and cotton candy for public viewing and educational purposes.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 31 July 2024
Our artwork isn’t made from what the children grew out of, or the salvageable portions of threadbare calicoes.
—Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 July 2024
At the start of Beckert’s epic tale, in the early eighteenth century, India provided coveted muslins and calicoes for European markets.
—Jeremy Adelman, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2015
See all Example Sentences for calico 
Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2024
Seacoast Science Center is now home to lobsters of several different variations of orange, blue, calico, and cotton candy for public viewing and educational purposes.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 31 July 2024
Our artwork isn’t made from what the children grew out of, or the salvageable portions of threadbare calicoes.
—Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 July 2024
At the start of Beckert’s epic tale, in the early eighteenth century, India provided coveted muslins and calicoes for European markets.
—Jeremy Adelman, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2015
See all Example Sentences for calico
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.
Dictionary Entries Near calico
Cite this Entry
“Calico.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calico. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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