Mesoamerica

American  

[mez-oh-uh-mer-i-kuh, mes-, mee-zoh-, -soh-] / ˌmɛz oʊ əˈmɛr ɪ kə, ˌmɛs-, ˌmi zoʊ-, -soʊ- /

Or Meso-America

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.

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Mesoamerica British  

/ ˌmɛsəʊəˈmɛrɪkə /

noun

1. another name for Central America

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Other Word Forms

• Mesoamerican adjective

Etymology

Origin of Mesoamerica

meso- + America

Example Sentences

Mr. Darnielle’s happy place, clearly, is among the ancient Greeks and the gods of Mesoamerica.

From The Wall Street Journal

"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.

From Science Daily

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times