Sorghum \Sor"ghum\, n. [NL., probably of Chinese origin.] (Bot.)
   (a) A genus of grasses, properly limited to two species,
       {Sorghum Halepense}, the Arabian millet, or Johnson grass
       (see {Johnson grass}), and {Sorghum vulgare}, the Indian
       millet (see {Indian millet}, under {Indian}).
   (b) A variety of {Sorghum vulgare}, grown for its saccharine
       juice; the Chinese sugar cane.
       
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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. {Hindu}.]
   
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   1. Of or pertaining to India proper; also to the East Indies,
      or, sometimes, to the West Indies.
      
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   2. Of or pertaining to the aborigines, or Indians, of
      America; as, Indian wars; the Indian tomahawk.
      
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   3. Made of maize or Indian corn; as, Indian corn, Indian
      meal, Indian bread, and the like. [U.S.]
      
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   {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 cress} (Bot.), nasturtium. See {Nasturtium}, 2.

   {Indian cucumber} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Medeola}
      ({Medeola 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} ({Symphoricarpus 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.)
      (a) A plant of the genus {Apocynum} ({Apocynum  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  Avicennae}). 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} (Zool.), 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} ({Gillenia trifoliata}, and {Gillenia  stipulacea}), common in the United States, the roots of
      which are used in medicine as a mild emetic; -- called
      also {American ipecac}, and {bowmans root}. --Gray.

   {Indian pink}. (Bot.)
      (a) The Cypress vine ({Ipomoea 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} ({Canna  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
      {Arisaema}. {Arisaema 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}.
          
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millet \mil"let\ (m[i^]l"l[e^]t), n. [F., dim. of mil, L.
   milium; akin to Gr. meli`nh, AS. mil.] (Bot.)
   The name of several cereal and forage grasses which bear an
   abundance of small roundish grains. The common millets of
   Germany and Southern Europe are {Panicum miliaceum}, and
   {Setaria Italica}.

   Note:

   {Arabian millet} is {Sorghum Halepense}.

   {Egyptian millet} or

   {East Indian millet} is {Penicillaria spicata}.

   {Indian millet} is {Sorghum vulgare}. (See under {Indian}.)
      

   {Italian millet} is {Setaria Italica}, a coarse, rank-growing
      annual grass, valuable for fodder when cut young, and
      bearing nutritive seeds; -- called also {Hungarian grass}.
      

   {Texas millet} is {Panicum Texanum}.

   {Wild millet}, or

   {Millet grass}, is {Milium effusum}, a tall grass growing in
      woods.
      
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Durra \Dur"ra\, n. [Ar. dhorra.] (Bot.)
   A kind of millet, cultivated throughout Asia, and introduced
   into the south of Europe; a variety of {Sorghum vulgare}; --
   called also {Indian millet}, and {Guinea corn}. [Written also
   {dhoorra}, {dhurra}, {doura}, etc.]
   
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broomcorn \broom"corn\, broom corn \broom" corn`\ (Bot.)
   A tall variety of grass ({Sorghum vulgare} technicum), having
   a joined stem, like maize, rising to the height of eight or
   ten feet, and bearing its seeds on a panicle with long stiff
   branches, of which brooms are made.
   
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