Part 175

Commercial indigo contains the essential coloring principle indigo blue or indigotine, with several other dyes; as, indigo red, indigo brown, etc., and various impurities. Indigo is insoluble in ordinary reagents, with the exception of strong sulphuric acid.

Chinese indigo (Bot.), Isatis indigotica, a kind of woad. -- Wild indigo (Bot.), the American herb Baptisia tinctoria which yields a poor quality of indigo, as do several other species of the same genus.

In"di*go (?), a. Having the color of, pertaining to, or derived from, indigo.

Indigo berry (Bot.), the fruit of the West Indian shrub Randia aculeata, used as a blue dye. -- Indigo bird (Zoöl.), a small North American finch (Cyanospiza cyanea). The male is indigo blue in color. Called also indigo bunting. -- Indigo blue. (a) The essential coloring material of commercial indigo, from which it is obtained as a dark blue earthy powder, with a reddish luster, C16H10N2O2, which may be crystallized by sublimation. Indigo blue is also made from artificial amido cinnamic acid, and from artificial isatine; and these methods are of great commercial importance. Called also indigotin. (b) A dark, dull blue color like the indigo of commerce. -- Indigo brown (Chem.), a brown resinous substance found in crude indigo. -- Indigo copper (Min.), covellite. -- Indigo green, a green obtained from indigo. -- Indigo plant (Bot.), a leguminous plant of several species (genus Indigofera), from which indigo is prepared. The different varieties are natives of Asia, Africa, and America. Several species are cultivated, of which the most important are the I. tinctoria, or common indigo plant, the I. Anil, a larger species, and the I. disperma. -- Indigo purple, a purple obtained from indigo. -- Indigo red, a dyestuff, isomeric with indigo blue, obtained from crude indigo as a dark brown amorphous powder. -- Indigo snake (Zoöl.), the gopher snake. -- Indigo white, a white crystalline powder obtained by reduction from indigo blue, and by oxidation easily changed back to it; -- called also indigogen. -- Indigo yellow, a substance obtained from indigo.

||In`di*gof"e*ra (?), n. [NL., from E. indigo + L. ferre to bear.] ||(Bot.) A genus of leguminous plants having many species, mostly in ||tropical countries, several of them yielding indigo, esp. Indigofera ||tinctoria, and I. Anil. || In"di*go*gen (?), n. [Indigo + -gen.]

1. (Chem.) See Indigo white, under Indigo.

2. (Physiol. Chem.) Same as Indican, 2.

In`di*gom"e*ter (?), n. [Indigo + -meter.] An instrument for ascertaining the strength of an indigo solution, as in volumetric analysis. Ure.

In`di*gom"e*try (?), n. The art or method of determining the coloring power of indigo.

In`di*got"ic (?), a. [Cf. F. indigotique.] (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, indigo; as, indigotic acid, which is also called anilic or nitrosalicylic acid.

In"di*go*tin (?), n. (Chem.) See Indigo blue, under Indigo.

In`dig*ru"bin (?), n. [Indigo + L. ruber red.] (Physiol. Chem.) Same as Urrhodin.

In`di*hu"min (?), n. [Indican + humin.] (Chem.) A brown amorphous substance resembling humin, and obtained from indican.

In*dil"a*to*ry (?), a. Not dilatory. [Obs.]

In*dil"i*gence (?), n. [L. indiligentia: cf. F. indiligence.] Want of diligence. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

In*dil"i*gent (?), a. [L. indiligens: cf. F. indiligent. See Diligent.] Not diligent; idle; slothful. [Obs.] Feltham. -- In*dil"i*gent*ly, adv. [Obs.]

In`di*min"ish*a*ble (?), a. Incapable of being diminished. [R.] Milton.

In"din (?), n. [From Indigo.] (Chem.) A dark red crystalline substance, isomeric with and resembling indigo blue, and obtained from isatide and dioxindol.

In`di*rect" (?), a. [Pref. in- not + direct: cf. F. indirect.]

1. Not direct; not straight or rectilinear; deviating from a direct line or course; circuitous; as, an indirect road.

2. Not tending to an aim, purpose, or result by the plainest course, or by obvious means, but obliquely or consequentially; by remote means; as, an indirect accusation, attack, answer, or proposal.

By what bypaths and indirect, crooked ways I met this crown.

Shak.

3. Not straightforward or upright; unfair; dishonest; tending to mislead or deceive.

Indirect dealing will be discovered one time or other.

Tillotson.

4. Not resulting directly from an act or cause, but more or less remotely connected with or growing out of it; as, indirect results, damages, or claims.

5. (Logic & Math.) Not reaching the end aimed at by the most plain and direct method; as, an indirect proof, demonstration, etc.