Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Indian
In′di-an
(?; 277)
, Adj.
[From
India
, and this fr. Indus
, the name of a river in Asia, L. Indus
, Gr. [GREEK], OPers. Hindu
, name of the land on the Indus, Skr. sindhu
river, the Indus. Cf. Hindu
.] 1.
Of or pertaining to India proper; also to the East Indies, or, sometimes, to the West Indies.
2.
Of or pertaining to the aborigines, or Indians, of America;
as,
Indian
wars; the Indian
tomahawk.3.
Made of maize or Indian corn;
as,
. Indian
corn, Indian
meal, Indian
bread, and the like[U.S.]
Indian
bay (Bot.)
, a lauraceous tree (
– Persea Indica
). Indian bean
(Bot.)
, a name of the catalpa.
– Indian berry
. (Bot.)
Same as
– Cocculus indicus
. Indian bread
. (Bot.)
Same as
– Cassava
. Indian club
, a wooden club, which is swung by the hand for gymnastic exercise.
– Indian cordage
, cordage made of the fibers of cocoanut husk.
– Indian cress
(Bot.)
, nasturtium. See
– Nasturtium
, 2. Indian cucumber
(Bot.)
, a plant of the genus
– Medeola
(Medeola Virginica
), a common in woods in the United States. The white rootstock has a taste like cucumbers. Indian currant
(Bot.)
, a plant of the genus
– Symphoricarpus
(Symphoricarpus vulgaris
), bearing small red berries. Indian dye
, the puccoon.
– Indian fig
. (Bot.)
(a)
The banyan. See
Banyan
. (b)
The prickly pear.
– Indian file
, single file; arrangement of persons in a row following one after another, the usual way among Indians of traversing woods, especially when on the war path.
– Indian fire
, a pyrotechnic composition of sulphur, niter, and realgar, burning with a brilliant white light.
– Indian grass
(Bot.)
, a coarse, high grass (
Chrysopogon nutans
), common in the southern portions of the United States; wood grass. Gray.
– Indian hemp
. (Bot.)
(a)
A plant of the genus
Apocynum
(Apocynum cannabinum
), having a milky juice, and a tough, fibrous bark, whence the name. The root it used in medicine and is both emetic and cathartic in properties. (b)
The variety of common hemp (
– Cannabis Indica
), from which hasheesh is obtained. Indian mallow
(Bot.)
, the velvet leaf (
– Abutilon Avicennæ
). See Abutilon
. Indian meal
, ground corn or maize.
[U.S.]
– Indian millet
(Bot.)
, a tall annual grass (
– Sorghum vulgare
), having many varieties, among which are broom corn, Guinea corn, durra, and the Chinese sugar cane. It is called also Guinea corn
. See Durra
. Indian ox
(Zool.)
, the zebu.
– Indian paint
. See
– Bloodroot
. Indian paper
. See
– India paper
, under India
. Indian physic
(Bot.)
, a plant of two species of the genus
Gillenia
(Gillenia trifoliata
, and Gillenia stipulacea
), common in the United States, the roots of which are used in medicine as a mild emetic; – called also American ipecac
, and bowman’s root
. Gray.
– Indian pink
. (Bot.)
(a)
The Cypress vine (
Ipomœa Quamoclit
); – so called in the West Indies. (b)
See
– China pink
, under China
. Indian pipe
(Bot.)
, a low, fleshy herb (
– Monotropa uniflora
), growing in clusters in dark woods, and having scalelike leaves, and a solitary nodding flower. The whole plant is waxy white, but turns black in drying. Indian plantain
(Bot.)
, a name given to several species of the genus
Cacalia
, tall herbs with composite white flowers, common through the United States in rich woods. Gray.
– Indian poke
(Bot.)
, a plant usually known as the
– white hellebore
(Veratrum viride
). Indian pudding
, a pudding of which the chief ingredients are Indian meal, milk, and molasses.
– Indian purple
. (a)
A dull purple color.
(b)
The pigment of the same name, intensely blue and black.
– Indian red
. (a)
A purplish red earth or pigment composed of a silicate of iron and alumina, with magnesia. It comes from the Persian Gulf. Called also
Persian red
. (b)
See
– Almagra
. Indian rice
(Bot.)
, a reedlike water grass. See
– Rice
. Indian shot
(Bot.)
, a plant of the genus
– Canna
(Canna Indica
). The hard black seeds are as large as swan shot. See Canna
. Indian summer
, in the United States, a period of warm and pleasant weather occurring late in autumn. See under
– Summer
. Indian tobacco
(Bot.)
, a species of
– Lobelia
. See Lobelia
. Indian turnip
(Bot.)
, an American plant of the genus
– Arisæma
. Arisæma triphyllum
has a wrinkled farinaceous root resembling a small turnip, but with a very acrid juice. See Jack in the Pulpit
, and Wake-robin
. Indian wheat
, maize or Indian corn.
– Indian yellow
. (a)
An intense rich yellow color, deeper than gamboge but less pure than cadmium.
(b)
See
Euxanthin
.In′di-an
(?; 277)
, Noun.
1.
A native or inhabitant of India.
2.
One of the aboriginal inhabitants of America; – so called originally from the supposed identity of America with India.
Webster 1828 Edition
Indian
IN'DIAN
,Adj.
IN'DIAN
,Noun.