indigo

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to 3_d._, and imposed new duties upon coffee, pimento, white sugar, and indigo from the Spanish and French West Indies, and upon wine from the Madeiras and the Azores.

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Definitions (53)

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  1. noun Any of various shrubs or herbs of the genus Indigofera in the pea family, having odd-pinnate leaves and usually red or purple flowers in axillary racemes.
  2. noun A blue dye obtained from these plants or produced synthetically.
  3. noun Any of several related plants, especially those of the genera Amorpha or Baptisia.

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Examples (50)

  • Here they saw the method used by the natives for dying cloth with indigo, which is extremely rude and inartificial; and the effect seems to be produced solely by the superior quality of the indigo, and the quantity employed. —  Life and Travels of Mungo Park in Central Africa
  • Aaron chose shades that represent the glamour, the energy and the passion of Paris -- indigo blue, bright red and luxurious gold. —  Beauty Snob - Beauty Secrets and Tips
  • "Plant-derived indigo is a marginal, alternative product, and it does not currently compete with synthetic indigo," Vuorema says. —  innovations-report
  • Isaacson said she uses dyes found in nature such as indigo, madder, cochineal, pomegranate, logwood, Queen Anne's lace, goldenrod and marigold. —  The Journal-Standard Homepage RSS
  • The volatilization of the indigo is aided by the vapour of water disengaged from the gypsum, and the surface of the mass becomes covered with beautiful crystals of pure indigo, which may be readily removed by a thin spatula. —  Field's Chromatography or Treatise on Colours and Pigments as Used by Artists
 

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Spanish índigo and Dutch indigo (from Portuguese endego), both from Latin indicum, from Greek Indikon (pharmakon), Indian (dye), neuter of Indikos, of India, from India, India, from Indos, the Indus River, from Old Persian Hinduš, Sind; see Hindi.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Formerly also indico; = D. G. Danish Swedish indigo = French indigo, from Spanish índigo, índico, Old Spanish endico = Portuguese indico = Italian indico, Old Italian indigo, endego = Middle High German indich, German indich, from Latin indicum, from Greek ἰνδικόν, indigo, literally Indian (sc. φάρμακον, dye), neuter of Ἰνδικός, Latin Indicus, Indian, from Ἰνδία, India: see Indic, Indian.
 

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/ˈɪndɪgoʊ/
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