n. & adj.
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. 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.
[ ME f. India ult. f. Gk Indos the River Indus f. Pers. Hind: cf. HINDU ]