Calicos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of fabric characterized by its colorful, printed patterns often used for garments and home decor
2. Describing cats that have patches of three colors, commonly black, orange, and white
3. Referring to any diverse and variegated appearance, particularly in textiles or animal coats

Etymology: "Calicos" is simply the plural of "calico," a cotton cloth named after the Indian port city of Calicut, now called Kozhikode, on the Malabar Coast. The name comes from Malayalam "kōḻikkōṭŭ," where "kōḻi" means "palace" and "kōṭŭ" means "fortified palace," so the city's name recalls a fortified royal residence. European traders, most notably the Portuguese, who reached Calicut in the late 15th century, adopted the name for the cloth shipped out of that port, and English speakers took it up as "calico." The surprising twist is that the fabric was named for where it was traded, not where it was made or patterned. Calicut was a commercial hub, and its name traveled with its textiles across Europe, so a place name became the everyday word for a cheap, plain cotton. The colorful printed patterns the word now suggests came later, as printing techniques developed, and the cloth's name stayed attached to it.

Synonyms: multicolor, patchwork

Antonyms: solid