What makes a calico, a calico cat?

I got a new cat recently, i had gone to see her maybe three times before deciding to adopt her. When I first saw her, I was excited, I don't know why, but I assumed she was a calico. But then, the next day, I saw she was stripped a little. So I've come to the conclusion that she's a tabby with calico coloring. This might be dumb of me to ask, but does a calico have certain markings? And what would a tabby with calico coloring possibly be called?