tortoise-shell

Noun

tortoiseshell (usually uncountable, plural tortoiseshells)

1. (usually) The horny, translucent, mottled covering of the carapace of the hawksbill turtle, used as a veneer etc.
2. (usually) The hawksbill turtle.
3. (usually) A domestic cat (or a rabbit, guinea-pig, etc.) whose fur has black, brown and yellow markings.

   Synonyms:

   tort, tortie

4. (usually) Any of several butterflies, mostly of the genera Nymphalis and Aglais that have similar markings.
   • Other common farmland butterflies to have suffered steep declines include the small tortoiseshell (64%), the wall brown (37%) and the large skipper (35%).2015 November 24, Patrick Barkham, “Pesticide may be reason butterfly numbers are falling in UK, says study”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 05 Mar 2016

See all 6 meanings of tortoiseshell