Calico, as described above, is called muslin in the US. In the USA, the word calico refers to a tightly-woven, printed cotton cloth, often known as sprigged cotton in Britain.
Sometimes calico is written calicot (French). Calico cloth was often glazed and embellished with colourful (floral) prints. These cloths were called chintz (from sg. chint) and became very popular in Europe from the early seventeenth century onwards.
Sources:
- TORTORA, Phyllis G. and Ingrid JOHNSON (2014). The Fairchild Books. Dictionary of Textiles, London: Bloomsbury, p. 91.
- Shorter Oxford English Dictionary: ‘Calico’
GVE