indigo
/ˈɪn.dɪ.ɡəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪn.dɪ.ɡoʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈin-di-ˌgō/ (ame, mw) · /ˈɪndɪɡəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪndɪɡəʊ/ (ame, ipa)
indigo — noun
1. a dark shade sitting between blue and violet on the colour spectrum, often descr
a dark shade sitting between blue and violet on the colour spectrum, often described as the sixth band in a rainbow.
Cyrus painted the night sky in deep indigo, with tiny silver stars scattered across it.
noun as paint/colour name in art context
The bridesmaids wore long dresses in indigo, which looked almost black under the dim lights.
noun referring to dress colour
Naoko chose indigo for the living room walls because it felt calm but rich.
On the colour wheel taught in art class, indigo sits between blue and violet.
- violet-blue
descriptive compound; more technical
- navy
darker and less purple; navy lacks indigo's red undertone
文法句型
[noun] (uncountable)
用法筆記
Often used by writers and designers when 'dark blue' feels too plain; signals a richer, slightly purple tone.
常見錯誤
2. a colouring substance used to turn cloth or yarn a strong blue shade; once extra
a colouring substance used to turn cloth or yarn a strong blue shade; once extracted from plants, today usually produced in factories.
Traditional weavers in Tunde's village still use indigo to dye their cotton cloth by hand.
use indigo to dye [fabric]
Most blue jeans get their colour from synthetic indigo made in chemical plants.
synthetic indigo as commercial dye source
Arjun's hands were stained with indigo after a long afternoon at the dye workshop.
The museum showed how merchants once shipped indigo from India to Europe in large wooden barrels.
文法句型
[noun] (uncountable)
用法筆記
Often paired with verbs like 'dye', 'stain', or 'extract'. Subject of historical and trade contexts because indigo was a major export crop for centuries.
3. a warm-climate shrub whose leaves were once harvested and processed to produce b
a warm-climate shrub whose leaves were once harvested and processed to produce blue dye for cloth.
Farmers in colonial Bengal were forced by British traders to grow indigo instead of food crops.
indigo as cultivated crop, historical context
Linh studied how indigo grows best in hot, wet regions with rich soil.
growing conditions for the plant
Rows of young indigo stretched across the field, their small leaves still pale green.
The botanical garden grew several types of indigo, each labelled with its scientific name.
- indigo plant
fuller, less ambiguous form; preferred when context might suggest the dye
文法句型
[noun]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the living plant; sense 2 names the dye made from it. Often appears in historical, agricultural, or botanical writing.
indigo — adjective
- indigopositive
- more indigocomparative
- most indigosuperlative
1. describing something whose colour is a deep mix of blue and purple, darker than
describing something whose colour is a deep mix of blue and purple, darker than ordinary blue.
Sofia wore an indigo scarf that picked up the colour of her earrings.
attributive: indigo + noun (clothing)
The mountains looked indigo just before sunset, with mist rising from the valley.
predicative: [thing] looked indigo
Joaquín picked an indigo tile for the kitchen splashback because it matched the cabinets.
Tara's eyes turned indigo in certain lights, almost like the deep sea at dusk.
- violet-blue
more technical; common in design or scientific contexts
- midnight blue
very dark blue but with less purple; lacks the red undertone
- pale blue
much lighter and without purple tint
文法句型
[adjective] + [noun]
be + [adjective]
用法筆記
Frequently attributive before clothing, fabric, or natural features (sky, sea, mountains). Reach for it when 'dark blue' feels imprecise and the colour clearly carries a purple tint.