Aztec

[ az-tek ]

/ ˈæz tɛk /

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noun

a member of a Nahuatl-speaking state in central Mexico that was conquered by Cortés in 1521.

Also called classical Nahuatl. the variety of Nahuatl that served as the medium of Aztec civilization, aboriginally written in a chiefly pictographic script.Compare Nahuatl (def. 2).

the Nahuatl language.

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Origin of Aztec

1780–90; <Spanish azteca<Nahuatl aztēcah, plural of aztēcatl person from Aztlān, the legendary place of origin of the Aztecs

OTHER WORDS FROM Aztec

Az·tec·an, adjectivepost-Aztec, adjective

Words nearby Aztec

azotobacter, azoturia, Azov, Azrael, AZT, Aztec, Aztecs, Aztec two-step, Azuchi-Momoyama, Azuela, Azuero Peninsula

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Aztec in a sentence

In response to growing hostilities from surrounding allies of the Aztec Empire, a multi-ethnic confederation of villages called Tlaxcallan built a densely occupied city of the same name.
Indigenous Americans ruled democratically long before the U.S. did|Bruce Bower|September 6, 2022|Science News
They were crouching on a chinampa, an island that appears to float in Lake Xochimilco, part of a complex ecosystem where the Aztec Empire once flourished.
Farmers and scientists unite to save the home of an endangered salamander|Lourdes Medrano/Undark|August 2, 2022|Popular-Science
As such the victors were often inducted into advanced training programs that focused on the handling of heavier melee weapons reserved for the elite fighters of the Aztec army.
History of the Aztec Warriors: The Grim Fighters of Mexico|Dattatreya Mandal|June 20, 2022|Realm of History
One of these series of ceremonies, held between February and April, was dedicated to the Aztec storm god Tlaloc and the war god Xipe.
History of the Aztec Warriors: The Grim Fighters of Mexico|Dattatreya Mandal|June 20, 2022|Realm of History

The Aztec, the Inca, and today’s Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, are very collectivistic.
The Pros and Cons of America’s (Extreme) Individualism (Ep. 470)|Stephen J. Dubner|July 22, 2021|Freakonomics
Los Angeles was wonderfully exotic; a polyglot mix of Aztec, Incan, Mayan and New World scents and sounds.
The Liberal Case Against Illegal Immigration|Doug McIntyre|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Take Huitzilopochtli, the typically tongue-twisting Aztec name of an old hummingbird god.
Mexico City’s Magical Moment of Resurgence|Condé Nast Traveler|February 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Standouts were the liquidy column dresses, presented in colors named chili pepper and Aztec blue.
Diane von Furstenberg’s Spring/Summer 2014 Oasis|Isabel Wilkinson|September 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Filming in Mexico City, where his tutor would supplement world-history lessons with trips to nearby Aztec ruins.
‘Free Willy’ Turns 20: Catching Up With Star Jason James Richter|Kevin Fallon|July 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Spaniards capitalized on her Aztec roots to colonize Mexico.
The Virgin Mary Becomes Pop Symbol|Judith Dupre|December 11, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Shrouded in mystery, they seemed a fit emblem of the Aztec past, whose buried histories still haunt this ancient land.
A Fortune Hunter; Or, The Old Stone Corral|John Dunloe Carteret
Having now examined the nature of the Aztec faith, let us, for a while, linger upon the fruits which it produced.
Ancient Faiths And Modern|Thomas Inman
We find a strong offset to the horror of Aztec cruelty in the very Bible, which we regard as the mainstay of our religious world.
Ancient Faiths And Modern|Thomas Inman
The language of the nations among which these institutions were first established was doubtless the Nahua, or old Aztec.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 5|Hubert Howe Bancroft
Reinforced by some Tepanec troops in Aztec dress, they made several raids for plunder against Tenayocan and the adjoining towns.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 5|Hubert Howe Bancroft

British Dictionary definitions for Aztec

Aztec

/ (ˈæztɛk) /

noun

a member of a Mexican Indian people who established a great empire, centred on the valley of Mexico, that was overthrown by Cortés and his followers in the early 16th century

the language of the AztecsSee also Nahuatl

adjective Also: Aztecan

of, relating to, or characteristic of the Aztecs, their civilization, or their language

Word Origin for Aztec

C18: from Spanish Azteca, from Nahuatl Aztecatl, from Aztlan, their traditional place of origin, literally: near the cranes, from azta cranes + tlan near

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012