tortoiseshell
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
tortoiseshell/ˈtɔːtəsʃel/
▶noun
- 1 the semi-transparent mottled yellow and brown shell of certain turtles, typically used to make jewellery or ornaments.
■ a synthetic imitation of this.
- 2 a domestic cat with markings resembling tortoiseshell.
- 3 a butterfly with mottled orange, yellow, and black markings. [Aglais urticae (small tortoiseshell) and other species.]
'tortoiseshell' also found in these Oxford entries:
