Aztec
[ az-tek ]
/ ˈæz tɛk /
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.
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-Az·tec, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for aztecs
British Dictionary definitions for aztecs
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
Cultural definitions for aztecs
Aztecs
A Native American people who ruled Mexico and neighboring areas before the Spaniards conquered the region in the sixteenth century. Starting in the twelfth century, they built up an advanced civilization and empire. (See Hernando Cortés and Montezuma.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.