—n.
1 a a native or national of India. b a person of Indian descent.
2 (in full American Indian) a member of the aboriginal peoples of America or their descendants.
3 any of the languages of the aboriginal peoples of America.
—adj.
1 of or relating to India, or to the subcontinent comprising India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
2 of or relating to the aboriginal peoples of America.
Phrases and idioms:
Indian clubs a pair of bottle-shaped clubs swung to exercise the arms in gymnastics. Indian corn maize. Indian elephant the elephant, Elephas maximus, of India, which is smaller than the African elephant. Indian file = single file. Indian hemp see HEMP 1. Indian ink Brit.
1 a black pigment made orig. in China and Japan.
2 a dark ink made from this, used esp. in drawing and technical graphics. Indian Ocean the ocean between Africa to the west, and Australia to the east. Indian rope-trick the supposed Indian feat of climbing an upright unsupported length of rope.
Indian summer
1 a period of unusually dry warm weather sometimes occurring in late autumn.
2 a late period of life characterized by comparative calm.
Etymology: ME f. India ult. f. Gk Indos the River Indus f. Pers. Hind: cf. HINDU
Useful english dictionary. 2012.