Dictionary

Indian

noun In·di·an \ˈin-dē-ən, dial -jən or -din\

Definition of INDIAN

1
a :  a native or inhabitant of India or of the East Indies
b :  a person of Indian descent
2
a :  american indian
b :  one of the native languages of American Indians
Indian adjective
In·di·an·ness noun
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First Known Use of INDIAN

14th century
INDIAN Defined for Kids

1Indian

noun In·di·an \ˈin-dē-ən\

Definition of INDIAN for Kids

1
:  a person born or living in India

Word History of INDIAN

Once the name India was not used just for the land that we now call India. The whole of the distant East was often called India. Columbus went west hoping to sail to the Far East. When he reached the West Indies, islands in the Caribbean, he thought that he had come to the outer islands of India, part of the Far East. That is why the people that he found there were given the name Indian.

2Indian

adjective

Definition of INDIAN for Kids

1
:  of or relating to India or its peoples
2
:  of or relating to the American Indians or their languages

Indian

geographical name In·di·an \ˈin-dē-ən\

Definition of INDIAN for Kids

ocean E of Africa, S of Asia, W of Australia, & N of Antarctica
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