Isatis tinctoria
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Indican \In"di*can\, n. [See {Indigo}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. (Chem.) A glucoside ({C14H17NO6}) obtained from woad
(indigo plant, {Isatis Tinctoria}) and other plants (see
{indigo}), as a yellow or light brown sirup. When purified
it is obtained as spear-shaped crystals. It has a nauseous
bitter taste. By the action of acids, enzymes, etc., it
breaks down into sugar and indigo. It is the source of
natural indigo. Chemically it is the 3-glucoside of
indole, H-indol-3-yl-[beta]-D-glucopyranoside.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
2. (Physiol. Chem.) An indigo-forming substance, found in
urine, and other animal fluids, and convertible into red
and blue indigo (urrhodin and uroglaucin). Chemically, it
is indoxyl sulphate of potash, {C8H6NSO4K}, and is derived
from the indol formed in the alimentary canal. Called also
{uroxanthin}.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Indigo \In"di*go\, n.; pl. {Indigoes}. [F. indigo, Sp. indigo,
indico, L. indicum indigo, fr. Indicus Indian. See {Indian}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. A kind of deep blue, one of the seven prismatic colors.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Chem.) A blue dyestuff obtained from several plants
belonging to very different genera and orders, such as,
the woad, {Isatis tinctoria} (family {Cruciferae}),
{Indigofera suffroticosa}, {Indigofera tinctoria} (family
{Leguminosae}), {Indigofera Anil}, {Nereum tinctorium},
{Polygonum tinctorium} Ait. (family {Polygonaceae}), etc.;
called also {natural indigo}. It is a dark blue earthy
substance, tasteless and odorless, with a copper-violet
luster when rubbed. Indigo does not exist in the plants as
such, but is obtained by decomposition of the glycoside
{indican}.
[1913 Webster]
Note: 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.
[1913 Webster]
{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.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Woad \Woad\, n. [OE. wod, AS. w[=a]d; akin to D. weede, G. waid,
OHG. weit, Dan. vaid, veid, Sw. veide, L. vitrum.] [Written
also {wad}, and {wade}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. (Bot.) An herbaceous cruciferous plant ({Isatis
tinctoria}) of the family {Cruciferae} (syn.
{Brassicaceae}). It was formerly cultivated for the blue
coloring matter derived from its leaves. See {isatin}.
[1913 Webster]
2. A blue dyestuff, or coloring matter, consisting of the
powdered and fermented leaves of the {Isatis tinctoria}.
It is now superseded by indigo, but is somewhat used with
indigo as a ferment in dyeing.
[1913 Webster]
Their bodies . . . painted with woad in sundry
figures. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
{Wild woad} (Bot.), the weld ({Reseda luteola}). See {Weld}.
{Woad mill}, a mill grinding and preparing woad.
[1913 Webster]
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