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Definitions for: Indigo
[n] a blue-violet color
[n] deciduous subshrub of southeastern Asia having pinnate leaves and clusters of red or purple flowers; a source of indigo dye
[n] a blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically
Webster (1913) Definition: In"di*go, n.; pl. Indigoes. [F. indigo, Sp. indigo,
indico, L. indicum indigo, fr. Indicus Indian. See Indian.]
1. A kind of deep blue, one of the seven prismatic colors.
2. (Chem.) A blue dyestuff obtained from several plants
belonging to very different genera and orders; as, the
woad, Isatis tinctoria, Indigofera tinctoria, {I.
Anil}, Nereum tinctorium, etc. It is a dark blue earthy
substance, tasteless and odorless, with a copper-violet
luster when rubbed. Indigo does not exist in the plants as
such, but is obtained by decomposition of the glycoside
indican.
Note: Commercial indigo contains the essential coloring
principle indigo blue or indigotine, with several other
dyes; as, indigo red, indigo brown, etc., and various
impurities. Indigo is insoluble in ordinary reagents,
with the exception of strong sulphuric acid.
Chinese indigo (Bot.), Isatis indigotica, a kind of woad.
Wild indigo (Bot.), the American herb Baptisia tinctoria
which yields a poor quality of indigo, as do several other
species of the same genus.
In"di*go, a.
Having the color of, pertaining to, or derived from, indigo.
Indigo berry (Bot.), the fruit of the West Indian shrub
Randia aculeata, used as a blue dye.
Indigo bird (Zo["o]l.), a small North American finch
(Cyanospiza cyanea). The male is indigo blue in color.
Called also indigo bunting.
Indigo blue.
(a) The essential coloring material of commercial indigo,
from which it is obtained as a dark blue earthy powder,
with a reddish luster, C16H10N2O2, which may be
crystallized by sublimation. Indigo blue is also made
from artificial amido cinnamic acid, and from artificial
isatine; and these methods are of great commercial
importance. Called also indigotin.
(b) A dark, dull blue color like the indigo of commerce.
Indigo brown (Chem.), a brown resinous substance found in
crude indigo.
Indigo copper (Min.), covellite.
Indigo green, a green obtained from indigo.
Indigo plant (Bot.), a leguminous plant of several species
(genus Indigofera), from which indigo is prepared. The
different varieties are natives of Asia, Africa, and
America. Several species are cultivated, of which the most
important are the I. tinctoria, or common indigo plant,
the I. Anil, a larger species, and the I. disperma.
Indigo purple, a purple obtained from indigo.
Indigo red, a dyestuff, isomeric with indigo blue, obtained
from crude indigo as a dark brown amorphous powder.
Indigo snake (Zo["o]l.), the gopher snake.
Indigo white, a white crystalline powder obtained by
reduction from indigo blue, and by oxidation easily
changed back to it; -- called also indigogen.
Indigo yellow, a substance obtained from indigo.
Synonyms: anil, indigo plant, Indigofera tinctoria, indigotin
See Also: anil, bush, dye, dyestuff, genus Indigofera, Indigofera, Indigofera anil, Indigofera suffruticosa, reddish blue, shrub, violet
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