Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun tortoiseshell

3 senses of tortoiseshell

Sense 1
tortoiseshell -- (the mottled horny substance of the shell of some turtles)
       => horn -- (the material (mostly keratin) that covers the horns of ungulates and forms hooves and claws and nails)

Sense 2
tortoiseshell, tortoiseshell butterfly -- (brilliantly colored; larvae feed on nettles)
       => nymphalid, nymphalid butterfly, brush-footed butterfly, four-footed butterfly -- (medium to large butterflies found worldwide typically having brightly colored wings and much-reduced nonfunctional forelegs carried folded on the breast)

Sense 3
tortoiseshell, tortoiseshell-cat, calico cat -- (a cat having black and cream-colored and yellowish markings)
       => domestic cat, house cat, Felis domesticus, Felis catus -- (any domesticated member of the genus Felis)