maya

¹ American  

[mah-yah, -yuh] / ˈmɑ yɑ, -yə /

noun

Hinduism.

1. the power, as of a god, to produce illusions.

2. the production of an illusion.

3. (in Vedantic philosophy) the illusion of the reality of sensory experience and of the experienced qualities and attributes of oneself.

4. Also called Mahamaya.  (initial capital letter) a goddess personifying the power that creates phenomena.

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Maya ² American  

[mah-yuh] / ˈmɑ yə /

noun

plural

Mayas,

plural

Maya

1. a member of a major pre-Columbian civilization of the Yucatán Peninsula that reached its peak in the 9th century a.d. and produced magnificent ceremonial cities with pyramids, a sophisticated mathematical and calendar system, hieroglyphic writing, and fine sculpture, painting, and ceramics.

2. a member of a modern Indigenous people of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Honduras who are the descendants of this ancient civilization.

3. any of the Mayan languages; the historical and modern languages of the Maya.

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adjective

1. Mayan.

Maya ¹ British  

/ ˈmaɪə /

noun

1. Also called: Mayan.  a member of an American Indian people of Yucatan, Belize, and N Guatemala, having an ancient culture once characterized by outstanding achievements in architecture, astronomy, chronology, painting, and pottery

2. the language of this people See also Mayan

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Maya ² British  

/ ˈmɑːjə, ˈmɑːjɑː, ˈmaɪə /

noun

1. the Hindu goddess of illusion, the personification of the idea that the material world is illusory

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maya ³ British  

/ ˈmɑːjə, ˈmaɪə, ˈmɑːjɑː /

noun

1. Hinduism illusion, esp the material world of the senses regarded as illusory

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Other Word Forms

• Mayan adjective
• mayan adjective

Etymology

Origin of maya¹

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1815–25

Origin of Maya²

First recorded in 1810–20; from Spanish, from Yucatec Maya mayab “flat,” a self-designation

Example Sentences

There remains a lack of full-back options for Wiegman with Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier seen as back-up for Bronze despite playing her club football at centre-back every week.

From BBC

Two school children were medevaced out, including 12-year-old Maya Gebala whose head wounds have her fighting for life, according to updates from her mother on Facebook, where the woman identifies herself as a heavy equipment operator at Conuma.

From The Wall Street Journal

"If you look at the complaints lodged with the Department of Foreign Employment, only five percent are due to faults of recruitment agencies, while the remaining complaints come from individuals who travel on their own initiative," said Dhana Maya Sinjali, of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies.

From Barron's

“This victory was won by and for the people of the Harbor Area,” said Maya Suzuki Daniels, co-founder of the Harbor Area Peace Patrols.

From Los Angeles Times

Still, a foul from Dunn on a corner three-pointer by Indiana’s Maya Makalusky opened the door for the Hoosiers.

From Los Angeles Times