tortoiseshell

/ˈtɔː(ɹ)tə.ˌʃɛl/ · noun

Meaning

The horny, translucent, mottled covering of the carapace of the hawksbill turtle, used as a veneer etc.
The hawksbill turtle.
A domestic cat (or a rabbit, guinea-pig, etc.) whose fur has black, brown and yellow markings.
Any of several butterflies, mostly of the genera Nymphalis and Aglais that have similar markings.
Made of the covering of carapace of hawksbill turtle.
Having markings resembling covering of carapace of hawksbill turtle.

Etymology / origin

No prose etymology has been added yet.

No ancestor words have been linked yet.

Related words

calico cat(English)tortoiseshell-cat(English)tortoiseshell butterfly(English)hawkbill(English)hawksbill(English)tortoiseshell cat(English)rhamphotheca(English)chicken-turtle(English)boulle(English)tabby(English)marquetry(English)calico(English)

Descendant words

No descendant words have been linked yet.

Sources

DictionaryAPI.dev English dictionary data

tortoiseshell — meaning and etymology | WikiWord