INDIA

India, Republic of India, Bharat

(noun) a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Proper noun

India (plural Indias)

A country in South Asia. Official name: Republic of India.

(chiefly, historical, proscribed in modern use) An area of land in Southern Asia, traditionally delimited by the Himalayas and the Indus river; the Indian subcontinent.

(historical, often "British India") A territory of the British Empire, chiefly comprising the modern day countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Burma.

The letter I in the ICAO spelling alphabet.

A female given name

Usage notes

When discussing the pre-modern history of South Asia, naming the entire subcontinent India is common. For discussing the current states, which include the Republic of India, this can cause offense and confusion and is usually avoided with the terms Indian Subcontinent or South Asia.

At times when multiple countries existed in South Asia, these have sometimes been pluralised as Indias or Indies. The word Indies survives in some place names such as East Indies and West Indies but is otherwise obsolete.

Synonyms

• (Republic of India): Bharat, Hindustan

• (Landmass): Indian subcontinent, South Asia (usually including Indian Ocean nations), the subcontinent

Meronyms

• (the subcontinent): Pakistan, Bangladesh

Anagrams

• I and I, NIAID, iniad

Source: Wiktionary


In"di*a, n. Etym: [See Indian.]

Definition: A country in Southern Asia; the two peninsulas of Hither and Farther India; in a restricted sense, Hither India, or Hindostan. India ink, a nearly black pigment brought chiefly from China, used for water colors. It is in rolls, or in square, and consists of lampblack or ivory black and animal glue. Called also China ink. The true India ink is sepia. See Sepia.

– India matting, floor matting made in China, India, etc., from grass and reeds; -- also called Canton, or China, matting.

– India paper, a variety of Chinese paper, of smooth but not glossy surface, used for printing from engravings, woodcuts, etc.

– India proof (Engraving), a proof impression from an engraved plate, taken on India paper.

– India rubber. See Caoutchouc.

– India-rubber tree (Bot.), any tree yielding caoutchouc, but especially the East Indian Ficus elastica, often cultivated for its large, shining, elliptical leaves.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 November 2024

THEORETICAL

(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”


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Coffee Trivia

The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.

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