noun / adjective

mackerel

A tabby cat coat pattern with narrow, parallel stripes.

The kitten has a mackerel tabby coat with narrow parallel stripes.

Etymology

The coat-pattern name compares a cat's narrow dark stripes with the markings of the mackerel fish. The resemblance supplies the connection between the animal and the pattern.

More examples

She photographed the mackerel pattern.
The mackerel tabby slept on the chair.
They compared a mackerel tabby with a spotted one.

Forms

mackerel

Similar words

tabby: The broader patterned cat-coat category.
striped: Any stripe pattern without the specific tabby arrangement.