Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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. {Hindoo}.]
   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 corn} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Zea} ({Z. Mays});
      the maize, a native of America. See {Corn}, and {Maize}.
      

   {Indian cress} (Bot.), nasturtium. See {Nasturtium}, 2.

   {Indian cucumber} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Medeola} ({M.
      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} ({S. 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} ({A. 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} ({G. trifoliata}, and {G. 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} ({C.
      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}. {A. 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}.

Nimble Will, a kind of drop seed. {Muhlenbergia diffsa}. Orchard
grass, pasture and hay. {Dactylis glomerata}. Porcupine grass,
troublesome to sheep. Northwest. {Stipa spartea}. Quaking grass,
ornamental. {Briza media} and {maxima}. Quitch, or Quick, grass,
etc., a weed. {Agropyrum repens}. Ray grass. Same as {Rye grass}
(below). Redtop, pasture and hay. {Agrostis vulgaris}.
Red-topped buffalo grass, forage. Northwest. {Poa tenuifolia}.
Reed canary grass, of slight value. {Phalaris arundinacea}. Reed
meadow grass, hay. North. {Glyceria aquatica}. Ribbon grass, a
striped leaved form of {Reed canary grass}. Rye grass, pasture,
hay. {Lolium perenne}, var. Seneca grass, fragrant basket work,
etc. North. {Hierochloa borealis}. Sesame grass. Same as {Gama
grass} (above). Sheep's fescue, sheep pasture, native in
Northern Europe and Asia. {Festuca ovina}. Small reed grass,
meadow pasture and hay. North. {Deyeuxia Canadensis}. Spear
grass, Same as {Meadow grass} (above). Squirrel-tail grass,
troublesome to animals. Seacoast and Northwest. {Hordeum
jubatum}. Switch grass, hay, cut young. {Panicum virgatum}.
Timothy, cut young, the best of hay. North. {Phleum pratense}.
Velvet grass, hay on poor soil. South. {Holcus lanatus}. Vernal
grass, pasture, hay, lawn. {Anthoxanthum odoratum}. Wire grass,
valuable in pastures. {Poa compressa}. Wood grass, Indian grass,
hay. {Chrysopogon nutans}.

   Note: Many plants are popularly called grasses which are not
         true grasses botanically considered, such as black
         grass, goose grass, star grass, etc.

   {Black grass}, a kind of small rush ({Juncus Gerardi}),
      growing in salt marshes, used for making salt hay.

   {Grass of the Andes}, an oat grass, the {Arrhenatherum
      avenaceum} of Europe.

   {Grass of Parnassus}, a plant of the genus {Parnassia}
      growing in wet ground. The European species is {P.
      palustris}; in the United States there are several
      species.

   {Grass bass} (Zo["o]l.), the calico bass.

   {Grass bird}, the dunlin.

   {Grass cloth}, a cloth woven from the tough fibers of the
      grass-cloth plant.

   {Grass-cloth plant}, a perennial herb of the Nettle family
      ({B[oe]hmeria nivea or Urtica nivea}), which grows in
      Sumatra, China, and Assam, whose inner bark has fine and
      strong fibers suited for textile purposes.

   {Grass finch}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) A common American sparrow ({Po["o]c[ae]tes
          gramineus}); -- called also {vesper sparrow} and
          {bay-winged bunting}.
      (b) Any Australian finch, of the genus {Po["e]phila}, of
          which several species are known.

   {Grass lamb}, a lamb suckled by a dam running on pasture land
      and giving rich milk.

   {Grass land}, land kept in grass and not tilled.

   {Grass moth} (Zo["o]l.), one of many small moths of the genus
      {Crambus}, found in grass.

   {Grass oil}, a fragrant essential volatile oil, obtained in
      India from grasses of the genus {Andropogon}, etc.; --
      used in perfumery under the name of {citronella}, {ginger
      grass oil}, {lemon grass oil}, {essence of verbena} etc.
      

   {Grass owl} (Zo["o]l.), a South African owl ({Strix
      Capensis}).

   {Grass parrakeet} (Zo["o]l.), any of several species of
      Australian parrots, of the genus {Euphemia}; -- also
      applied to the zebra parrakeet.

   {Grass plover} (Zo["o]l.), the upland or field plover.

   {Grass poly} (Bot.), a species of willowwort ({Lythrum
      Hyssopifolia}). --Johnson.

   {Crass quit} (Zo["o]l.), one of several tropical American
      finches of the genus {Euetheia}. The males have most of
      the head and chest black and often marked with yellow.

   {Grass snake}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) The common English, or ringed, snake ({Tropidonotus
          natrix}).
      (b) The common green snake of the Northern United States.
          See {Green snake}, under {Green}.

   {Grass snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the pectoral sandpiper ({Tringa
      maculata}); -- called also {jacksnipe} in America.

   {Grass spider} (Zo["o]l.), a common spider ({Agelena
      n[ae]via}), which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous
      when covered with dew.

   {Grass sponge} (Zo["o]l.), an inferior kind of commercial
      sponge from Florida and the Bahamas.

   {Grass table}. (Arch.) See {Earth table}, under {Earth}.

   {Grass vetch} (Bot.), a vetch ({Lathyrus Nissolia}), with
      narrow grasslike leaves.

   {Grass widow}. [Cf. Prov. R. an unmarried mother, G.
      strohwittwe a mock widow, Sw. gr["a]senka a grass widow.]
      (a) An unmarried woman who is a mother. [Obs.]
      (b) A woman separated from her husband by abandonment or
          prolonged absence; a woman living apart from her
          husband. [Slang.]

   {Grass wrack} (Bot.) eelgrass.

   {To bring to grass} (Mining.), to raise, as ore, to the
      surface of the ground.

   {To put to grass}, {To put out to grass}, to put out to graze
      a season, as cattle.