Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Indigo

In′di-go

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Indigoes
(#)
.
[F.
indigo
, Sp.
indigo
,
indico
, L.
indicum
indigo, fr.
Indicus
Indian. See
Indian
.]
1.
A kind of deep blue, one of the seven prismatic colors.
2.
(Chem.)
A blue dyestuff obtained from several plants belonging to very different genera and orders, such as, the woad,
Isatis tinctoria
(family
Cruciferae
),
Indigofera suffroticosa
,
Indigofera tinctoria
(family
Leguminosae
),
Indigofera Anil
,
Nereum tinctorium
,
Polygonum tinctorium
Ait. (family
Polygonaceae
), etc.; called also
natural indigo
. It is a dark blue earthy substance, tasteless and odorless, with a copper-violet luster when rubbed. Indigo does not exist in the plants as such, but is obtained by decomposition of the glycoside
indican
.
☞ Commercial indigo contains the essential coloring principle indigo blue or indigotine, with several other dyes; as, indigo red, indigo brown, etc., and various impurities. Indigo is insoluble in ordinary reagents, with the exception of strong sulphuric acid.
Chinese indigo
(Bot.)
,
Isatis indigotica
, a kind of woad.
Wild indigo
(Bot.)
,
the American herb
Baptisia tinctoria
which yields a poor quality of indigo, as do several other species of the same genus.

In′di-go

,
Adj.
Having the color of, pertaining to, or derived from, indigo.
Indigo berry
(Bot.)
,
the fruit of the West Indian shrub
Randia aculeata
, used as a blue dye.
Indigo bird
(Zool.)
,
a small North American finch (
Cyanospiza cyanea
). The male is indigo blue in color. Called also
indigo bunting
.
Indigo blue
.
(a)
The essential coloring material of commercial indigo, from which it is obtained as a dark blue earthy powder, with a reddish luster,
C16H10N2O2
, which may be crystallized by sublimation. Indigo blue is also made from artificial amido cinnamic acid, and from artificial isatine; and these methods are of great commercial importance. Called also
indigotin
.
(b)
A dark, dull blue color like the indigo of commerce.
Indigo brown
(Chem.)
,
a brown resinous substance found in crude indigo.
Indigo copper
(Min.)
,
covellite.
Indigo green
,
a green obtained from indigo.
Indigo plant
(Bot.)
,
a leguminous plant of several species (genus
Indigofera
), from which indigo is prepared. The different varieties are natives of Asia, Africa, and America. Several species are cultivated, of which the most important are the
Indigofera tinctoria
, or
common indigo plant
, the
Indigofera Anil
, a larger species, and the
Indigofera disperma
.
Indigo purple
,
a purple obtained from indigo.
Indigo red
,
a dyestuff, isomeric with indigo blue, obtained from crude indigo as a dark brown amorphous powder.
Indigo snake
(Zool.)
,
the gopher snake.
Indigo white
,
a white crystalline powder obtained by reduction from indigo blue, and by oxidation easily changed back to it; – called also
indigogen
.
Indigo yellow
,
a substance obtained from indigo.

Webster 1828 Edition


Indigo

IN'DIGO

,
Noun.
[L. indicum, from India.] A substance or dye, prepared from the leaves and stalks of the indigo-plant, which are steeped in water till the pulp is extracted, when the tincture is drawn off and churned or agitated,till the dye begins to granulate. The flakes are then left to settle; the liquor is drawn off,and the indigo is drained in bags and dried in boxes. It is used for dyeing blue.

Definition 2024


índigo

índigo

See also: indigo, Indigo, indigó, and indīgo

Portuguese

Adjective

índigo m (feminine singular índiga, masculine plural índigos, feminine plural índigas, comparable)

  1. indigo

Synonyms

Noun

índigo m (uncountable)

  1. indigo

Synonyms

See also

Colors in Portuguese · cores (layout · text)
     vermelho      verde      amarelo      creme      branco
     carmim      magenta      azul-petróleo      lima      rosa,
cor-de-rosa
     índigo,
anil
     azul      laranja,
cor-de-laranja
     cinza      violeta
     preto      roxo      castanho,
marrom
     azul céu      ciano

Spanish

índigo

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈin.di.ɰo]
  • See also: méndigo

Etymology

Early variation of índico, from Latin indicus.

Noun

índigo m (plural índigos)

  1. (color) indigo
  2. (botany) indigo plant

Synonyms