indian

Forms

1.Of or relating to India or its people; or (formerly) of the East Indies.
- An IAF representative told an Indian parliamentary committee that due to the Ukraine war a “major delivery” from Moscow “is not going to take place.”
2.Of or relating to the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
3.Designating any of various chess openings now characterised by black's attempt to control the board through knights and fianchettoed bishops rather than with a central pawn advance.
4.Made with Indian corn or maize.

1.A person from India.
- Young Indians looking for work opportunities have made up a sizeable portion of undocumented migrants in the US, many after making the dangerous trek through Latin America to reach the US southern border.
2.An American Indian, a member of one of the indigenous peoples of the Americas (generally excluding the Aleut, Inuit, Metis, and Yupik).
- With savage desperation the Indian lunged his horse straight at Hopalong and, knife in hand, leaped for him!
- High Jack had been drinking too much rum ever since we landed in Boca. You know how an Indian is, the palefaces fixed his clock when they introduced him to firewater.
- We stigmatize the Indians, also, as cowardly and treacherous, because they use stratagem in warfare in preference to open force; but in this they are fully justified by their rude code of honor.
3.Ellipsis of Indian cuisine.
- Have you ever tried Indian?
4.Ellipsis of Indian meal (“meal consisting of Indian cuisine”).(colloquial)
- We're going out tonight for an Indian.

Common· #1931

From Middle English Indien, from Anglo-Norman indien, Middle French indien, corresponding to Ind + -ian or India + -an.