maya

¹

[mah-yah, -yuh]

noun

Hinduism.

1. the power, as of a god, to produce illusions.

2. the production of an illusion.

3. (in Vedantic philosophy) the illusion of the reality of sensory experience and of the experienced qualities and attributes of oneself.

4. Also called Mahamaya. (initial capital letter),  a goddess personifying the power that creates phenomena.

Maya

²

[mah-yuh]

noun

plural

Mayas ,

plural

Maya .

1. a member of a major pre-Columbian civilization of the Yucatán Peninsula that reached its peak in the 9th century a.d. and produced magnificent ceremonial cities with pyramids, a sophisticated mathematical and calendar system, hieroglyphic writing, and fine sculpture, painting, and ceramics.

2. a member of a modern Indigenous people of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Honduras who are the descendants of this ancient civilization.

3. any of the Mayan languages; the historical and modern languages of the Maya.

adjective

1. Mayan.

Maya

¹

/ ˈmaɪə /

noun

1. Also called: Mayan. a member of an American Indian people of Yucatan, Belize, and N Guatemala, having an ancient culture once characterized by outstanding achievements in architecture, astronomy, chronology, painting, and pottery

2. the language of this people See also Mayan

Maya

²

/ ˈmɑːjə, ˈmɑːjɑː, ˈmaɪə /

noun

1. the Hindu goddess of illusion, the personification of the idea that the material world is illusory

maya

³

/ ˈmɑːjə, ˈmaɪə, ˈmɑːjɑː /

noun

1. Hinduism illusion, esp the material world of the senses regarded as illusory

Other Word Forms

• mayan adjective
• Mayan adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of maya¹

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1815–25

Origin of maya²

First recorded in 1810–20; from Spanish, from Yucatec Maya mayab “flat,” a self-designation

Word History and Origins

Origin of maya¹

C19: from Sanskrit

Example Sentences

Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce made a superb late save to deny Chelsea's Keira Walsh, while both defenders Maya Le Tissier and Sandberg put their bodies on the line in the closing stages to keep the Blues at bay.

From BBC

Rolling Stone's Maya Georgi awarded the album five stars, saying Swift "hand-picks elements from all of her eras, just as she did on tour, and combines what works best".

From BBC

The woman, Laura Lee Yourex, 62, had allegedly registered her dog, Maya Jean Yourex, to vote in the 2021 gubernatorial recall and the 2022 primary.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s reoriented the story and its characters around race, and it’s worth mentioning that Bob and Perfidia’s blended family looks a bit like Anderson’s own with wife and actor Maya Rudolph.

From Los Angeles Times

Says Rudolph, whose two children with Riperton include the actor and comedian Maya Rudolph, “It really touches my heart that the younger generation of musicians is still moved by Minnie and what she did.”

From Los Angeles Times