Quetzalcoatl

American  

[ket-sahl-koh-aht-l] / kɛtˌsɑl koʊˈɑt l /

noun

1. the feathered serpent god of the Aztec and Toltec cultures.

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Quetzalcoatl British  

/ ˌkɛtsəlkəʊˈætəl /

noun

1. a god of the Aztecs and Toltecs, represented as a feathered serpent

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Quetzalcoatl Cultural  

1. An ancient nature god and legendary ruler of the Toltec people of Mexico, usually represented as a plumed serpent.

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Etymology

Origin of Quetzalcoatl

< Spanish Quetzalcóatl < Nahuatl Quetzalcōātl, equivalent to quetzal ( li ) ( see quetzal) + cōātl snake

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Quetzalcoatl

Her creations include recycled car tires—symbols of the capital’s traffic-clogged modern life—with sides and treads imprinted with gilded Aztec symbols, including the flying feathered serpent-god Quetzalcoatl.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

This denizen of the cloud forests shares pedigree with a fabled deity: Quetzalcoatl, the “Feathered Serpent.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2025

Rayo draws its name from the Aztec myth of the goddess Mayahuel, who descended to Earth with her lover, Quetzalcoatl.

From Salon ● Dec. 3, 2024

In Aztec mythology, Tezkatlipoka is the brother of Quetzalcoatl, Huitzilopochtli and Xipe Totec – all of whom appear to be invoked in the chant.

From Fox News ● Sep. 29, 2021

Quetzalcoatl staggers across the desert, reenacted in this weird dream just like a scene out of a librex.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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