Mesoamerica

Or Mes·o-A·mer·i·ca

[mez-oh-uh-mer-i-kuh, mes-, mee-zoh-, -soh-]

noun

1. Anthropology, Archaeology.,  the area extending approximately from central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua in which diverse pre-Columbian civilizations flourished.

2. (loosely) Central America.

Mesoamerica

/ ˌmɛsəʊəˈmɛrɪkə /

noun

1. another name for Central America

Other Word Forms

• Mesoamerican adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mesoamerica¹

meso- + America

Example Sentences

"If we lose the last great forests of Central America -- and we are -- we lose the birds that define our eastern forests in North America," said Jeremy Radachowsky, Regional Director for WCS's Mesoamerica Program.

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From its display case in the museum’s “Stories from Mesoamerica” hall, the iridescent plumage shimmers like a rainbow encased in glass, a tropical interloper to these northern climes.

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Archaeological evidence suggests that cacao has been cultivated in Mesoamerica for at least 5,000 years.

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In ancient Mesoamerica, for example, the color white represented the spark of a creative process, while black was the color of death.

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Ancient Aztec communities from the pre-Columbian period of Mesoamerica had a rich mythological codex that was also part of their ritual and sacrificial ceremonies.

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