indian (plural indians)

1. Alternative case form of Indian

indian

1. Alternative case form of Indian

From Anglo-Norman indien, Middle French indien, corresponding to Ind + -ian.

• (India) IPA: /ˈɪɳ.ɖɪə̯n/
• (RP) IPA: /ˈɪn.dɪ.ən/
• (America) IPA: /ˈɪn.di.ən/

indian

1. Of or relating to India or its people; or (formerly) of the East Indies. [from 14th c.]

   Synonyms: East Indian, Indic, Hindian, Desi, Indish (archaic)

2. (obsolete) Eastern; Oriental.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC ↗:

     The morrow next apprear'd with purple hayre / Yet dropping fresh out of the Indian fount, / And bringing light into the heavens fayre […] .

3. Of or relating to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. [from 16th c.]

   Synonyms: Native American, Amerindian, First Nation

4. (North America, of foods) Made with Indian corn or maize. [from 17th c.]

   Indian bread

   Indian meal

5. (chess) Designating any of various chess opening now characterised by black's attempt to control the board through knights and fianchettoed bishops rather than with a central pawn advance. [from 19th c.]

• Indo-

• French: indien
• German: indisch
• Italian: indiano
• Portuguese: indiano, hindu
• Russian: инди́йский
• Spanish: indio, hindú

• French: amérindien, indien
• German: indianisch
• Italian: indiano
• Portuguese: índio, indígena, ameríndio
• Russian: инде́йский
• Spanish: indígena, indio, indiano

indian (plural indians)

1. A person from India. [from 13th c.]

   Synonyms: Asian Indian, East Indian, Hindian, Desi

2. An American Indian, a member of one of the indigenous peoples of the Americas (generally excluding the Aleut, Inuit, Metis, or Yupik). [from 16th c.]

   Synonyms: Amerindian, Native American, Red Indian, First Nations person, Thesaurus:Native American

   • 1820 July, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Traits of Indian Character”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC ↗:

     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.

   • 1909, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “He Also Serves”, in Options‎:

     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.

   • 1951, Louis L'Amour, Rustlers of West Fork:

     With savage desperation the Indian lunged his horse straight at Hopalong and, knife in hand, leaped for him!

3. (now rare, historical) An indigenous inhabitant of Australia, New Zealand or the Pacific islands. [from 18th c.]
4. (uncountable) Indian cuisine; traditional Indian food.
5. (UK, colloquial) A meal at (or taken away from) an Indian restaurant. [from 20th c.]

   We're going out tonight for an Indian.

6. (UK, colloquial) An Indian restaurant.

   We're going down to the Indian for a curry—wanna join us?

7. Short for Mardi Gras Indian.

• French: Indien, Indienne
• German: Inder, Inderin
• Italian: indiano, indiano
• Portuguese: hindu, indiano
• Russian: инди́ец
• Spanish: indio, india, hindú

• French: amérindien, amérindienne, Amérindien, Amérindienne, indien, indienne, Indien, Indienne
• German: Indianer, Indianerin
• Italian: indiano, indiana, indiano d'America, amerindio, amerindia
• Portuguese: índio, índia, ameríndio, ameríndia, indígena
• Russian: инде́ец
• Spanish: indio, indio americano, india americana, amerindio, amerindia, indígena, indiano, indiana

1. (nonstandard) Any of the (unrelated) languages spoken by American Indians.
2. (nonstandard, rare) Any language spoken by natives of India, especially Hindi.