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

Last week, my prime-of-her-life and joy-of-my-heart calico cat caught a live vole and brought it into my office to chase around. —Joan Morris, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026

Only the hole left in the wall and the photos from the rescue tell the tale of what happened to the calico. —Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026

The oldest surviving fragments of calico are from the 15th century and were found in al-Fusṭāṭ, a neighborhood of Cairo, illustrating the extent of the trade in this fabric and style. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026

This sweet, 3-year-old calico was found as a stray during a snowstorm and has been all about warm hearts ever since. —Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026

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