The Collaborative International Dictionary
tortoise-shell \tortoise-shell\, adj. Having a color like that of a tortoise's shell, black with white and orange spots; -- used mostly to describe cats of that color. n. a tortoise-shell cat.
Wiktionary
a. (alternative form of tortoiseshell lag=en English) n. (alternative form of tortoiseshell lag=en English)
Usage examples of "tortoise-shell".
Richard Hatteras, at your service, commonly called Dick, of Thursday Island, North Queensland, pearler, copra merchant, beche-de-mer and tortoise-shell dealer, and South Sea trader generally.
The duchess presented me with a snuff-box in pale tortoise-shell with arabesque incrustations in gold, and she invited us to dine with her on the morrow, promising to take us after dinner to the Convent of St.
But having observed that I gave away only the comfits which I kept in my tortoise-shell box, and that I never eat any but those from the crystal box, she one day asked me what reason I had for that.
The insect season was past its peak, for it was really the time for wasps on fruit, but there were many fritillaries still, with tortoise-shells and red admirals on the flowering mint.
Monte Cristo opened the tortoise-shell box, which the lady presented to him, and inhaled the odor of the lozenges with the air of an amateur who thoroughly appreciated their composition.
My pretty tortoise-shell box, filled with excellent snuff, went more than once round the table.
The Abbe Gama, who had some exceedingly good snuff in an Origonela box, sent a pinch to Therese, and she sent him her snuff in a tortoise-shell box encrusted with gold in arabesques--an exquisite piece of workmanship.
The wizardess was greeted by her family from City Above, waiting to meet her in their tortoise-shell carriage drawn by a team of a hundred rabbits, their entire equipage floating two feet above the ground.
I put the first in a beautiful sweetmeat box of fine crystal, and the second in a tortoise-shell box.
Baited it could properly be called when the repast was of so wise a savour, and gilded surrounding objects seemed inevitably to need to be when Miss Barrace—which was the lady's name—looked at them with convex Parisian eyes and through a glass with a remarkably long tortoise-shell handle.
Later we'll have tortoise-shells, red admirals, yellow brimstones, perhaps even commas.