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tortoiseshell
(tɔːʳtəsʃel)
Word forms: plural tortoiseshells
1. uncountable noun
Tortoiseshell is the hard shell of a kind of sea turtle. It is brown and yellow in colour and is often polished and used to make jewellery and ornaments.
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Tortoiseshell means made of tortoiseshell or made of a material which resembles tortoiseshell.
He wears huge spectacles with thick tortoiseshell frames.
3. countable noun
A tortoiseshell is a butterfly with brown and orange wings.
tortoiseshell in British English
(ˈtɔːtəsˌʃɛl)
noun
1.
a horny translucent yellow-and-brown mottled substance obtained from the outer layer of the shell of the hawksbill turtle: used for making ornaments, jewellery, etc
2.
a similar synthetic substance, esp plastic or celluloid, now more widely used than the natural product
3. Also called: tortoiseshell cat
a breed of domestic cat, usually female, having black, cream, and brownish markings
4.
any of several nymphalid butterflies of the genus Nymphalis, and related genera, having orange-brown wings with black markings
5. tortoiseshell turtle
6.
a.
a yellowish-brown mottled colour
b.
(as adjective)
a tortoiseshell décor
7. (modifier)
made of tortoiseshell
a tortoiseshell comb
tortoiseshell in American English
(ˈtɔrtəsˌʃɛl)
noun
Also ˈtorˌtoise-shell1.
the hard, mottled, yellow-and-brown shell of some turtles and tortoises, used in inlaying and, esp. formerly, in making combs, frames for eyeglasses, etc.
2.
a synthetic substance made in imitation of this
3.
a mottled, yellow-and-brown color pattern
4.
any of several common, black and yellow-brown butterflies (genus Nymphalis) with markings resembling those of tortoise shell
5.
a cat with a mottled coat of black, brown, red or yellow, white, etc.
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