a tropical plant of the pea family, which was formerly widely cultivated as a source of dark blue dye 木蓝属植物
Genus Indigofera, family Leguminosae: several species, in particular I. tinctoria 木蓝属,豆科: 数种,尤指木蓝
[mass noun]the dark blue dye obtained from this plant 靛蓝;靛蓝染料 ■a colour between blue and violet in the spectrum 靛蓝色 [as modifier]he dived into the indigo water. 他潜入靛蓝色的水中。
语源
mid 16th cent.: from Portuguese índigo, via Latin from Greek indikon, from indikos 'Indian (dye') (see Indic)