In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
TORTOISESHELL
tortoiseshell, tortoiseshell-cat, calico cat
(noun) a cat having black and cream-colored and yellowish markings
tortoiseshell, tortoiseshell butterfly
(noun) brilliantly colored; larvae feed on nettles
tortoiseshell
(noun) the mottled horny substance of the shell of some turtles
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
tortoiseshell (usually uncountable, plural tortoiseshells)
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.
Synonyms
• (cat etc.): tort (colloquial), tortie (colloquial)
Adjective
tortoiseshell (not comparable)
Made of the covering of carapace of hawksbill turtle.
Having markings resembling covering of carapace of hawksbill turtle.
Source: Wiktionary
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
3 April 2025
WHOLE
(noun) an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity; “how big is that part compared to the whole?”; “the team is a unit”
Coffee Trivia
