Indian \In"di*an\ (?; 277), a. [From India, and this fr. Indus,
the name of a river in Asia, L. Indus, Gr. ?, OPers. Hindu,
name of the land on the Indus, Skr. sindhu river, the Indus.
Cf. Hindu.]
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1. Of or pertaining to India proper; also to the East Indies,
or, sometimes, to the West Indies.
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2. Of or pertaining to the aborigines, or Indians, of
America; as, Indian wars; the Indian tomahawk.
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3. Made of maize or Indian corn; as, Indian corn, Indian
meal, Indian bread, and the like. [U.S.]
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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
Avicenn[ae]). 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 (Ipom[oe]a 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
Aris[ae]ma. Aris[ae]ma 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.
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Summer \Sum"mer\, n. [OE. sumer, somer, AS. sumor, sumer; akin
to OFries. sumur, D. zomer, OS. sumar, G. sommer, OHG. &
Icel. sumar, Dan. sommer, Sw. sommar, W. haf, Zend hama, Skr.
sam[=a] year. [root]292.]
The season of the year in which the sun shines most directly
upon any region; the warmest period of the year.
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Note: North of the equator summer is popularly taken to
include the months of June, July, and August.
Astronomically it may be considered, in the northern
hemisphere, to begin with the summer solstice, about
June 21st, and to end with the autumnal equinox, about
September 22d.
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Indian summer, in North America, a period of warm weather
late in autumn, usually characterized by a clear sky, and
by a hazy or smoky appearance of the atmosphere,
especially near the horizon. The name is derived probably
from the custom of the Indians of using this time in
preparation for winter by laying in stores of food.
Saint Martin's summer. See under Saint.
Summer bird (Zool.), the wryneck. [Prov. Eng.]
Summer colt, the undulating state of the air near the
surface of the ground when heated. [Eng.]
Summer complaint (Med.), a popular term for any diarrheal
disorder occurring in summer, especially when produced by
heat and indigestion.
Summer coot (Zool.), the American gallinule. [Local, U.S.]
Summer cypress (Bot.), an annual plant (Kochia Scoparia)
of the Goosefoot family. It has narrow, ciliate, crowded
leaves, and is sometimes seen in gardens.
Summer duck. (Zool.)
(a) The wood duck.
(b) The garganey, or summer teal. See Illust. of Wood duck,
under Wood.
Summer fallow, land uncropped and plowed, etc., during the
summer, in order to pulverize the soil and kill the weeds.
Summer rash (Med.), prickly heat. See under Prickly.
Summer sheldrake (Zool.), the hooded merganser. [Local,
U.S.]
Summer snipe. (Zool.)
(a) The dunlin.
(b) The common European sandpiper.
(c) The green sandpiper.
Summer tanager (Zool.), a singing bird (Piranga rubra)
native of the Middle and Southern United States. The male
is deep red, the female is yellowish olive above and
yellow beneath. Called also summer redbird.
Summer teal (Zool.), the blue-winged teal. [Local, U.S.]
Summer wheat, wheat that is sown in the spring, and matures
during the summer following. See Spring wheat.
Summer yellowbird. (Zool.) See Yellowbird.
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