Indian rice

American  

noun

1. the wild rice plant.

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Indian rice British  

noun

1. an annual erect aquatic North American grass, Zizania aquatica, with edible purplish-black grain

2. the grain of this plant

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Etymology

Origin of Indian rice

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

The festivities included a city parade, where one Dena sailor, speaking to an independent journalist, Samson Sagar, marveled at the flavor of biryani, an Indian rice dish he had sampled.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Indian rice represented nearly a quarter of that number — making India the second-largest single exporter of rice to Washington, after Thailand.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 28, 2023

Ms. Kagan recalled the warmth of their home, where Indian rice dishes simmered and studying was mandatory.

From New York Times • Oct. 5, 2020

This is what often passes for the beloved Indian rice dish at restaurants too pressed for time to make the real thing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2016

Zizania, zī-zā′ni-a, n. a genus of tall aquatic grasses, of tribe Oryze�—wild, water, or Indian rice.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various