Toltec

American  

[tohl-tek, tol-] / ˈtoʊl tɛk, ˈtɒl- /

noun

Toltecs plural

1. a member of an Indian people living in central Mexico before the advent of the Aztecs and traditionally credited with laying the foundation of Aztec culture.

---

adjective

1. Also Toltecan. of or relating to the Toltecs.

Toltec British  

/ ˈtɒltɛk /

noun

1. a member of a Central American Indian people who dominated the valley of Mexico from their capital Tula from about 950 to 1160 _ad , when the valley was overrun by the Aztecs

---

adjective

1. of or relating to this people

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Toltec
  plural
• Toltecs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Toltec

< Mexican Spanish tolteca < Nahuatl tōltēcah , plural of tōltēcatl person from Tōllān Tula

Example Sentences

Based on information from these sources, historians have been able to place Aztec origins within the context of the collapse of the Toltec civilization.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

O.J.’s face was a sculptor’s dream, like a Toltec mask.”

From Golf Digest • Apr. 2, 2020

Bush and his team also have the help of hundreds of volunteers who are members the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.

From Washington Post • Sep. 20, 2018

Toltec and local Mayan cultures tell stories in the rocks with jaguars, eagles, snakes and sacrifice, wisdom and folklore that remain mysterious and mesmerizing to this day.

From Washington Times • Jan. 26, 2018

Three hundred years afterward the rising Toltec styled themselves its heirs.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann