Noun tortoiseshell has 3 senses
- tortoiseshell - the mottled horny substance of the shell of some turtles
--1 is a kind of horn
- tortoiseshell, tortoiseshell butterfly - brilliantly colored; larvae feed on nettles
--2 is a kind of nymphalid, nymphalid butterfly, brush-footed butterfly, four-footed butterfly
--2 is a member of Nymphalis, genus Nymphalis
- tortoiseshell, tortoiseshell-cat, calico cat - a cat having black and cream and yellowish markings
--3 is a kind of domestic cat, house cat, Felis domesticus, Felis catus
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