Indian summer

Indian summer
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}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Of or pertaining to India proper; also to the East Indies, or, sometimes, to the West Indies. [1913 Webster]

2. Of or pertaining to the aborigines, or Indians, of America; as, Indian wars; the Indian tomahawk. [1913 Webster]

3. Made of maize or Indian corn; as, Indian corn, Indian meal, Indian bread, and the like. [U.S.] [1913 Webster]

{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} (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} ({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}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Indian Summer — in Connecticut Ahornbaum am Straßenrand, Lake Candlewood, Connecticut …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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  • Indian summer — 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Indian summer — spell of warm weather after the first frost, first recorded 1778, American English, perhaps so called because it was first noted in regions inhabited by Indians, or because the Indians first described it to the Europeans. No evidence connects it… …   Etymology dictionary

  • indian summer — If there is a period of warmer weather in late autumn, it is an Indian summer …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • Indian summer — Indian summers N COUNT You can refer to a period of unusually warm and sunny weather during the autumn as an Indian summer …   English dictionary

  • Indian summer — ☆ Indian summer n. [ INDIAN, adj. 2 + SUMMER1; reason for name obscure] 1. a period of mild, warm, hazy weather following the first frosts of late autumn 2. the final period, as of a person s life, regarded as tranquil, serene, etc …   English World dictionary

  • Indian summer — n 1.) a period of warm weather in autumn 2.) a happy or successful time, especially near the end of your life or ↑career …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Indian summer — noun count a period of warm weather in fall …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Indian summer — ► NOUN ▪ a period of dry, warm weather occurring in late autumn …   English terms dictionary

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