Aztec

[az-tek]

noun

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

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

3. the Nahuatl language.

Aztec

/ ˈæztɛk /

noun

1. 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

2. the language of the Aztecs See also Nahuatl

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• Aztecan adjective
• post-Aztec adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Aztec¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Aztec¹

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

Example Sentences

After the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, Mexico’s European overlords used its silver and its agricultural wealth to nourish their global enterprises.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Yet a little more than two years later, he captured Tenochtitlán, the Aztecs’ capital, and toppled their empire.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He kept a collection of colonial maps tracing the migration of the Aztec people, part of what his son called “his love for Native American and Aztec culture.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Although the Aztecs fought hard to close the gap, the Bruins maintained control, ending the quarter with a 58–38 lead.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“But for us, the Aztecs, this crown carries the force, power and knowledge of the sovereign Moctezuma. ... It means a lot more than history narrated by an invader.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times