Inca

[ing-kuh]

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. 2018

Examples from the Web for inca

Contemporary Examples of 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
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
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

Historical Examples of inca

The Inca enters with Yma Sumac, followed by the whole strength of the company.
Apu Ollantay
Anonymous
In a soliloquy he declares himself the implacable enemy of Cuzco and the Inca.
Apu Ollantay
Anonymous
The Inca indulges in extravagant expressions of love for his daughter.
Apu Ollantay
Anonymous
She proves to be the sister of the Inca and the wife of Ollantay.
Apu Ollantay
Anonymous
He was quite confident that the Inca was trying to lure them on to their ruin.
Ferdinand De Soto, The Discoverer of the Mississippi
John S. C. Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for inca

Inca

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

Word Origin and History for inca

Inca

1590s, from Spanish Inga (1520s), from Quechea Inca, literally "lord, king." Technically, only of the high Inca, but it was used widely for "man of royal blood."