Inca

[ ing-kuh ]

/ ˈɪŋ kə /

noun

a member of any of the dominant groups of South American Indian peoples who established an empire in Peru prior to the Spanish conquest.

a ruler or member of the royal family in the Incan empire.

Origin of Inca

1585–95; < Spanish < Quechua inka ruler of the Inca state

Related formsIn·ca·ic

[ing-key-ik, in-] /ɪŋˈkeɪ ɪk, ɪn-/, adjectiveIn·can, noun, adjectivepseu·do-In·can, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for inca

How did the Inca get giant blocks of stone up mountains 500 years ago without the use of wheels?
The Real-Life Raiders of the Lost Ark|Alex Belth|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Especially when the leader in question is that Inca of Incas, the president of the United States.
What the Rest of the World Thinks of America’s Shutdown||October 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Among the Inca, quinoa was known as “chisaya mama” or “the mother grain,” and was treated with ritual ceremony.
The Perfect Quinoa|Cookstr.com|February 2, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Those writers who have called the Inca religion a "sun worship" have been led astray by superficial resemblances.
American Hero-Myths|Daniel G. Brinton

Struck dumb by the trusting joy in those profound eyes, the Inca took the empty glass from her trembling hand.
Tales of the Five Towns|Arnold Bennett
If I fire a pistol, he will send off a boat with a full account of the theft of the mummy of Inca Caxas, written by himself.
The Green Mummy|Fergus Hume
Meanwhile the fight, or rather massacre, continued hot around the Inca, whose person was the great object of the assault.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 9|Various
But we of Inca lineage here have that knowledge of reading and writing handed down to us by the three priests of de Arguello.
The Radio Boys' Search for the Inca's Treasure|Gerald Breckenridge

British Dictionary definitions for inca

Inca

/ (ˈɪŋkə) /

noun plural -ca or -cas

a member of a South American Indian people whose great empire centred on Peru lasted from about 1100 ad to the Spanish conquest in the early 1530s and is famed for its complex culture

the ruler or king of this empire or any member of his family

the language of the IncasSee also Quechua

Derived FormsIncan, adjective

Word Origin for Inca

C16: from Spanish, from Quechua inka king

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

Inca

noun

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Origin of Inca

Examples from the Web for inca

British Dictionary definitions for inca

Inca

noun plural -ca or -cas

Word Origin for Inca