Indian corn :  n : tall annual cereal grass bearing kernels on large ears: widely cultivated in America in many varieties; the principal cereal in Mexico and Central and South America since pre-Columbian times [syn: corn, maize, Indian corn, Zea mays]

Indian \In"di*an\ (?; 277), a. [From India, and this fr. Indus, the name of a river in Asia, L. Indus, Gr. ?, OPers. Hindu, name of the land on the Indus, Skr. sindhu river, the Indus. Cf. Hindoo.] 1. Of or pertaining to India proper; also to the East Indies, or, sometimes, to the West Indies. 2. Of or pertaining to the aborigines, or Indians, of America; as, Indian wars; the Indian tomahawk. 3. Made of maize or Indian corn; as, Indian corn, Indian meal, Indian bread, and the like. [U.S.] Indian+bay+(Bot.),+a+lauraceous+tree+({Persea+Indica">Indian bay (Bot.), a lauraceous tree ({Persea Indica). Indian bean (Bot.), a name of the catalpa. Indian berry. (Bot.) Same as Cocculus indicus. Indian bread. (Bot.) Same as Cassava. Indian club, a wooden club, which is swung by the hand for gymnastic exercise. Indian cordage, cordage made of the fibers of cocoanut husk. Indian+corn+(Bot.),+a+plant+of+the+genus+Zea+({Z.+Mays">Indian corn (Bot.), a plant of the genus Zea ({Z. Mays); the maize, a native of America. See Corn, and Maize. Indian cress (Bot.), nasturtium. See Nasturtium, 2. Indian cucumber (Bot.), a plant of the genus Medeola ({M. Virginica), a common in woods in the United States. The white rootstock has a taste like cucumbers. Indian currant (Bot.), a plant of the genus Symphoricarpus+({S.+vulgaris">Symphoricarpus ({S. vulgaris), bearing small red berries. Indian dye, the puccoon. Indian fig. (Bot.) (a) The banyan. See Banyan. (b) The prickly pear. Indian file, single file; arrangement of persons in a row following one after another, the usual way among Indians of traversing woods, especially when on the war path. Indian fire, a pyrotechnic composition of sulphur, niter, and realgar, burning with a brilliant white light. Indian grass (Bot.), a coarse, high grass ({Chrysopogon nutans), common in the southern portions of the United States; wood grass. --Gray. Indian hemp. (Bot.) Apocynum+({A.+cannabinum">(a) A plant of the genus Apocynum ({A. cannabinum), having a milky juice, and a tough, fibrous bark, whence the name. The root it used in medicine and is both emetic and cathartic in properties. (b) The variety of common hemp ({Cannabis Indica), from which hasheesh is obtained. Indian mallow (Bot.), the velvet leaf ({Abutilon Avicenn[ae]). See Abutilon. Indian meal, ground corn or maize. [U.S.] Indian millet (Bot.), a tall annual grass ({Sorghum vulgare), having many varieties, among which are broom corn, Guinea corn, durra, and the Chinese sugar cane. It is called also Guinea corn. See Durra. Indian ox (Zo["o]l.), the zebu. Indian paint. See Bloodroot. Indian paper. See India paper, under India. Indian physic (Bot.), a plant of two species of the genus Gillenia+({G.+trifoliata">Gillenia ({G. trifoliata, and G. stipulacea), common in the United States, the roots of which are used in medicine as a mild emetic; -- called also American ipecac, and bowman's root. --Gray. Indian pink. (Bot.) (a) The Cypress vine ({Ipom[oe]a Quamoclit); -- so called in the West Indies. (b) See China pink, under China. Indian pipe (Bot.), a low, fleshy herb ({Monotropa uniflora), growing in clusters in dark woods, and having scalelike leaves, and a solitary nodding flower. The whole plant is waxy white, but turns black in drying. Indian plantain (Bot.), a name given to several species of the genus Cacalia, tall herbs with composite white flowers, common through the United States in rich woods. --Gray. Indian poke (Bot.), a plant usually known as the white hellebore ({Veratrum viride}). Indian pudding, a pudding of which the chief ingredients are Indian meal, milk, and molasses. Indian purple. (a) A dull purple color. (b) The pigment of the same name, intensely blue and black. Indian red. (a) A purplish red earth or pigment composed of a silicate of iron and alumina, with magnesia. It comes from the Persian Gulf. Called also Persian red. (b) See Almagra. Indian rice (Bot.), a reedlike water grass. See Rice. Indian shot (Bot.), a plant of the genus Canna ({C. Indica). The hard black seeds are as large as swan shot. See Canna. Indian summer, in the United States, a period of warm and pleasant weather occurring late in autumn. See under Summer. Indian tobacco (Bot.), a species of Lobelia. See Lobelia. Indian turnip (Bot.), an American plant of the genus Aris[ae]ma. A. triphyllum has a wrinkled farinaceous root resembling a small turnip, but with a very acrid juice. See Jack in the Pulpit, and Wake-robin. Indian wheat, maize or Indian corn. Indian yellow. (a) An intense rich yellow color, deeper than gamboge but less pure than cadmium. (b) See Euxanthin.

Corn \Corn\, n. [AS. corn; akin to OS. korn, D. koren, G., Dan., Sw., & Icel. korn, Goth. ka['u]rn, L. granum, Russ. zerno. Cf. Grain, Kernel.] 1. A single seed of certain plants, as wheat, rye, barley, and maize; a grain. 2. The various farinaceous grains of the cereal grasses used for food, as wheat, rye, barley, maize, oats. Note: In Scotland, corn is generally restricted to oats, in the United States, to maize, or Indian corn, of which there are several kinds; as, yellow corn, which grows chiefly in the Northern States, and is yellow when ripe; white or southern corn, which grows to a great height, and has long white kernels; sweet corn, comprising a number of sweet and tender varieties, grown chiefly at the North, some of which have kernels that wrinkle when ripe and dry; pop corn, any small variety, used for popping. 3. The plants which produce corn, when growing in the field; the stalks and ears, or the stalks, ears, and seeds, after reaping and before thrashing. In one night, ere glimpse of morn, His shadowy flail had thrashed the corn. --Milton. 4. A small, hard particle; a grain. ``Corn of sand.'' --Bp. Hall. ``A corn of powder.'' --Beau. & Fl. Corn ball, a ball of popped corn stuck together with soft candy from molasses or sugar. Corn bread, bread made of Indian meal. Corn cake, a kind of corn bread; johnny cake; hoecake. Corn cockle (Bot.), a weed ({Agrostemma or Lychnis Githago), having bright flowers, common in grain fields. Corn flag (Bot.), a plant of the genus Gladiolus; -- called also sword lily. Corn fly. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A small fly which, in the larval state, is injurious to grain, living in the stalk, and causing the disease called ``gout,'' on account of the swelled joints. The common European species is Chlorops t[ae]niopus. (b) A small fly ({Anthomyia ze) whose larva or maggot destroys seed corn after it has been planted. Corn fritter, a fritter having greenIndian corn : mixed through its batter. [U. S.] Corn laws, laws regulating trade in corn, especially those in force in Great Britain till 1846, prohibiting the importation of foreign grain for home consumption, except when the price rose above a certain rate. Corn marigold. (Bot.) See under Marigold. Corn oyster, a fritter containing grated green Indian corn and butter, the combined taste resembling that of oysters. [U.S.] Corn parsley (Bot.), a plant of the parsley genus ({Petroselinum segetum), a weed in parts of Europe and Asia. Corn popper, a utensil used in popping corn. Corn+poppy+(Bot.),+the+red+poppy+({Papaver+Rh[oe]as">Corn poppy (Bot.), the red poppy ({Papaver Rh[oe]as), common in European cornfields; -- also called corn rose. Corn rent, rent paid in corn. Corn rose. See Corn poppy. Corn salad (Bot.), a name given to several species of Valerianella, annual herbs sometimes used for salad. V. olitoria is also called lamb's lettuce. Corn stone, red limestone. [Prov. Eng.] Corn violet (Bot.), a species of Campanula. Corn weevil. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A small weevil which causes great injury to grain. (b) In America, a weevil ({Sphenophorus ze[ae]) which attacks the stalk of maize near the root, often doing great damage. See Grain weevil, under Weevil.