Indian: Meaning and Definition of

In•di•an

Pronunciation: (in'dē-un), [key]
— n.
  1. Also calleda member of the aboriginal people of America or of any of the aboriginal North or South American stocks, usually excluding the Eskimos.
  2. any of the indigenous languages of the American Indians. Abbr.: Ind
  3. a member of any of the peoples native to or inhabiting India or the East Indies.
  4. a citizen of the Republic of India.
  5. a person who performs a required task or carries out the instructions of superiors: We have too many chiefs and not enough Indians.
  6. the constellation Indus.
—adj.
  1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the American Indians or their languages.
  2. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of India or the East Indies.
  3. made of Indian corn: Indian meal.
  4. oriental (def. 3).
  5. belonging or pertaining to a geographical division comprising India south of the Himalayas, and Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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