indigo

[ in-di-goh ]

noun

, plural in·di·gos, in·di·goes.

1. a blue dye obtained from various plants, especially of the genus Indigofera, or manufactured synthetically.
2. indigo blue ( def 2 ).
3. any of numerous hairy plants belonging to the genus Indigofera, of the legume family, having pinnate leaves and clusters of usually red or purple flowers.
4. a color ranging from a deep violet blue to a dark, grayish blue.

adjective

1. Also called indigo-blue, of the color indigo.

indigo

/ ˈɪndɪˌɡəʊ; ˌɪndɪˈɡɒtɪk /

noun

1. Also calledindigotin a blue vat dye originally obtained from plants but now made synthetically
2. See wild indigo
   any of various tropical plants of the leguminous genus Indigofera, such as the anil, that yield this dye Compare wild indigo
3. 1. any of a group of colours that have the same blue-violet hue; a spectral colour
   2. ( as adjective )

      an indigo carpet

Derived Forms

• indigotic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of indigo¹

1545–55; < Spanish or Portuguese, variant of índico < Latin indicum < Greek indikón, noun use of neuter of Indikós Indic

Word History and Origins

Origin of indigo¹

C16: from Spanish indico, via Latin from Greek Indikos of India

Example Sentences

The canvas comes in multiple colors—like indigo, stone, and hand-dyed turmeric—so you can match this sauna kit with your current wall color or room’s aesthetic.

From Popular-Science

Textile makers must treat indigo with harsh chemicals to make it soluble.

From Science News For Students

Denin absorbed more indigo in one pass with the new dye than it would have picked up after being dipped in the traditional vat of dye eight times.

From Science News For Students

To give denim its blue hue, the researchers add indigo powder to a hydrogel containing a small amount of nanocellulose.

From Science News For Students

Your happiness as a reader will depend on how open you are to insights that recognize no coincidences, some of them from the crystal-indigo-rainbow file, as well as proposed, though not explained, secret-knowledge theories.

From Washington Post

With Mood Indigo, I had a girlfriend who got really sick in America and I had to pay for the hospital bills.

From The Daily Beast

Both Eternal Sunshine and Mood Indigo concern a relationship unraveling.

From The Daily Beast

“With Mood Indigo, I really let myself be as me as I could be,” Gondry tells The Daily Beast.

From The Daily Beast

The jeans mysteriously came in a spray can, and were offered in two washes: “Indigo,” and “Bright Light.”

From The Daily Beast

He hangs around with the supposedly psychic Indigo Children who inspired The Last Airbender.

From The Daily Beast

The indigo plant is herbaceous, and from one to three feet high, with delicate bluish-green leaves.

From Project Gutenberg

Next rinse the veil through two cold waters, tinging the last with indigo.

From Project Gutenberg

But the foot-gin appeared on the scene, and indigo went down before cotton.

From Project Gutenberg

Some fifty years later, a planter's daughter tried to raise indigo.

From Project Gutenberg

After several failures, she succeeded in doing so, and indigo was raised in Carolina until the time came when cotton paid better.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blue-green