indian Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a member of the race of people living in America when Europeans arrived
    American Indian; Red Indian.
  2. noun a native or inhabitant of India
  3. noun any of the languages spoken by Amerindians
    American Indian; American-Indian language; Amerindian language; Amerind.
  4. adjective of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
    • the Indian subcontinent
    • Indian saris
  5. adjective of or pertaining to American Indians or their culture or languages
    Native American; Amerind; Amerindic.
    • Native American religions
    • Indian arrowheads

WordNet

In"di*an adjective
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  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.
In"di*an noun
Definitions
  1. A native or inhabitant of India.
  2. One of the aboriginal inhabitants of America; -- so called originally from the supposed identity of America with India.

Webster 1913