wooden Indian


noun
  1. a carved wooden statue of a standing American Indian, formerly found before many cigar stores as an advertisement.

  2. (often lowercase)Informal. a person who appears emotionless and unresponsive; a poker face.

Origin of wooden Indian

1
An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Words Nearby wooden Indian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wooden Indian in a sentence

  • A poor old wooden Indian, all battered by the years, was seated on a pile of junk, and shedding briny tears.

  • Levake was standing near a wooden-Indian cigar-store sign, looking directly at Bucks as the latter walked toward him.

    The Mountain Divide | Frank H. Spearman
  • The wooden Indian in front of the cigar store stepped down off 152 his stand.

    Rootabaga Stories | Carl Sandburg