tortoise shell

(noun) the mottled horny substance of the shell of some turtles. Synonyms: tortoiseshell.

(noun) brilliantly colored; larvae feed on nettles. Synonyms: tortoiseshell, tortoiseshell butterfly.

(noun) a cat having black and cream-colored and yellowish markings. Synonyms: tortoiseshell, tortoiseshell-cat, calico cat.