calico
UK[ˈkælɪkəʊ]US[ˈkælɪkoʊ]
n
a type of cotton cloth that is usually plain white or unbleached
n
an animal, especially a cat, with fur that has patches of white, black, and orange
adj
having patches of white, black, and orange fur
Etymology
the word 'calico' has a fascinating journey tied to global trade. it originates from 'calicut', the anglicized name for kozhikode, a major port city on the malabar coast of india. this city was renowned for exporting a distinctive type of plain, cheap cotton cloth to europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. english merchants named the fabric after its place of origin, a common practice for traded goods. over time, the term's meaning expanded in american english to describe the distinctive patchwork coloring of cats, due to the cloth's often variegated or printed patterns, drawing a metaphorical link between the multicolored fabric and the animal's coat.
Analysis
this word is a loanword whose spelling and form have been anglicized as a whole unit. it does not contain productive morphemes in english that can be meaningfully segmented according to the current spelling.
Examples
the dress was made from a simple, lightweight calico.
we adopted a beautiful calico kitten from the shelter.
the quilt was a traditional pattern sewn from calico scraps.