tortoiseshell (n.)

  1. the mottled horny substance of the shell of some turtles

  2. brilliantly colored; larvae feed on nettles

    [ Syn: tortoiseshell butterfly ]

  3. a cat having black and cream-colored and yellowish markings

    [ Syn: tortoiseshell-cat , calico cat ]

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
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