Date
Meaning & History
From the English word "calico" referring to something "having a pattern of red and contrasting areas, resembling the color of calico cloth, a kind of rough cloth, often printed with a bright pattern." From Calicut, in India, from where the cloth was originally exported, from Malayalam കോഴിക്കോട് (kōḻikkōṭ, 'Kozhikode'), from koyil 'palace' + kota 'fort', "fortified palace", with ‘y’ replaced by interchangeable ‘zh’.A noted bearer is John Rackham (1682 – 1720), commonly known as Calico Jack, an English pirate captain operating in the Bahamas and in Cuba during the early 18th century, his nickname derived from the calico clothing he wore.