adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈkæ.lɪ.kəʊ/
General-American:/ˈkæ.lɪ.koʊ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K AE1 L AH0 K OW2
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Made of calico or resembling the color of calico cloth, having a pattern of red and contrasting areas; variegated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
The calico cat had distinctive red and dark markings.
The calico-patterned tablecloths were supposed to make the restaurant look rustic; instead, they made it look run down.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tortoiseshell
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Made of calico or resembling the color of calico cloth, having a pattern of red and contrasting areas; variegated.
Having red, brunette, and blond hair colors, resembling the fur of a calico cat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tortoiseshell
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A kind of rough cloth made from unbleached and not fully processed cotton, often printed with a bright pattern.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: business, manufacturing, textiles
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Ellipsis of calico cat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The plant disease caused by Tobacco mosaic virus.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective
Meaning 6
made of calico or resembling calico in being patterned
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
calico dresses
a calico cat
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
having sections or patches colored differently and usually brightly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fabric, cloth, material, textile
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Malayalam കോഴിക്കോട് (kōḻikkōṭŭ)bor. Portuguese Calicutbor. English Calicut English calico From Calicut, from where the cloth was originally exported, from Malayalam കോഴിക്കോട് (kōḻikkōṭŭ, “Kozhikode”), from കോഴി (kōḻi, “palace”) + കോട് (kōṭŭ, “fortified palace”).
Across languages
Translations
73 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
басмен
(basmen)
— having a pattern of red and contrasting areas
Bulgarian:
пъстър
(pǎstǎr)
— having a pattern of red and contrasting areas
Bulgarian:
шарен
(šaren)
— having a pattern of red and contrasting areas
Polish:
szylkretowy
— having a pattern of red and contrasting areas
Afrikaans:
kaliko
— kind of cloth
Afrikaans:
katoen
— kind of cloth
Southern Altai:
сыйса
(sïysa)
— kind of cloth
Arabic:
شيت
(šīt)
— kind of cloth
Bulgarian:
платно
(platno)
— kind of cloth
Bulgarian:
хасе
(hase)
— kind of cloth
Bulgarian:
басма
(basma)
— kind of cloth
Catalan:
calicó
— kind of cloth
Czech:
kaliko
— kind of cloth
Dutch:
calicot
— kind of cloth
Finnish:
kaliko
— kind of cloth
Finnish:
kalikoo
— kind of cloth
French:
calicot
— kind of cloth
German:
Kattun
— kind of cloth
German:
Kaliko
— kind of cloth
Hindi:
छींट
(chī̃ṭ)
— kind of cloth
Hindi:
छीँट
(chī̃ṭ)
— kind of cloth
Italian:
calicò
— kind of cloth
Japanese:
カナキン
(kanakin)
— kind of cloth
Khakas:
ситсе
(sitse)
— kind of cloth
Kumyk:
чыт
(çıt)
— kind of cloth
Kyrgyz:
чыт
(cıt)
— kind of cloth
Macedonian:
американ
(amerikan)
— kind of cloth
Māori:
kariko
— kind of cloth
Norman:
calicot
— kind of cloth
Persian:
متقال
(metqâl)
— kind of cloth
Polish:
kaliko
— kind of cloth
Portuguese:
calicó
— kind of cloth
Portuguese:
calicô
— kind of cloth
Romanian:
stambă
— kind of cloth
Romanian:
cit
— kind of cloth
Russian:
си́тец
(sítec)
— kind of cloth
Russian:
коленко́р
(kolenkór)
— kind of cloth
Russian:
митка́ль
(mitkálʹ)
— kind of cloth
Russian:
бязь
(bjazʹ)
— kind of cloth
Scottish Gaelic:
cailleago
— kind of cloth
Slovak:
kaliko
— kind of cloth
Spanish:
calicó
— kind of cloth
Swahili:
kaniki
— kind of cloth
Swedish:
kalikå
— kind of cloth
Tatar:
ситса
(sitsa)
— kind of cloth
Tatar:
ситсы
(sitsı)
— kind of cloth
Turkish:
kaliko
— kind of cloth
Ottoman Turkish:
قالیقوت
(kalikot)
— kind of cloth
