# indigo

Pronunciation: say "IN-di-goh" US /ˈɪndɪˌɡoʊ/, UK /ˈɪn.dɪˌɡəʊ/

## Noun

1. A purplish-blue color, sitting between blue and violet.
   - Simple: A deep blue color with a hint of purple in it.
   - _The dye left the wool a uniform indigo after several soakings._
   - _At dusk the harbor water shifted from gray to a soft indigo._
3. A blue dye obtained from plants such as the indigo plant or woad, or a similar synthetic version.
   - Simple: A blue dye made from certain plants, or a factory-made version like it.
   - _Traditional dyers extracted indigo from leaves left to ferment for days._
   - _The vat held enough indigo to color several hundred yards of cloth._
4. A plant from any of several genera, such as Indigofera, grown as a source of blue dye.
   - Simple: A plant grown for the blue dye it produces, often found in warm regions.
   - _They cultivated indigo on the plantation chiefly for the dye trade._
   - _She grew indigo along the fence for its slender flowering stems._

## Adjective

2. Having a deep purplish-blue color.
   - Simple: Having a deep blue color with a touch of purple in it.
   - _The artist chose an indigo backdrop to set off the pale portrait._
   - _His indigo jacket stood out against the snow._

## Origin

First recorded in the 16th century (as 'indico', with the modern spelling from the 17th century), it came from Spanish 'índigo', Portuguese 'endego', or Dutch 'indigo', all from Latin 'indicum' ('indigo'). That in turn came from Ancient Greek 'indikón' ('Indian dye'), from 'Indía'. It is a doublet of 'Indic'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/indigo (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).