Injun

[ in-juhn ]

nounOlder Use: Often Offensive.
  1. American Indian; Native American.

Origin of Injun

1
First recorded in 1660–70 as ingins (plural); pronunciation spelling of Indian, with assibilated d;cf. Cajun

usage note For Injun

Injun is an informal, nonstandard spelling of Indian. This pronunciation and variant spelling are associated with inauthentic, white representations of Native cultures and speakers. Now considered dated and often offensive, this variant form of Indian is best avoided, except when used to comment on inauthenticity of representation, as in the “Hollywood Injun English” dialogue written for Native characters in older Westerns. See also honest Injun.

Words Nearby Injun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Injun in a sentence

  • "I've brought ye thet Injun I wuz tellin' ye uv," she said, with a wave of her hand toward Alessandro.

    Ramona | Helen Hunt Jackson
  • But ef Jos keeps on, airnin' ez much ez he hez so fur, he's goin' ter pay the Injun part on 't, when he cums.

    Ramona | Helen Hunt Jackson
  • So whilst we was eatin' breakfast I begins t' quiz, an', one way an' another, lets on I wanted t' see that Injun scout.

    Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
  • Mebby I'll perch on top o' the court-house, too, fer a spell, an' take a leetle fly out by the Injun school.

    Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews
  • What's more, I s'pose he can't even see them Injun pony tracks around the body.

    Mystery Ranch | Arthur Chapman

British Dictionary definitions for Injun

Injun

/ (ˈɪndʒən) /


noun
  1. US an informal or dialect word for (American) Indian

  2. honest Injun (interjection) slang genuinely; really

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012