Mayan

[ mah-yuhn ]

adjective
  1. of or relating to the Maya, their culture, or their languages.

noun
  1. a member of the Mayan tribe.

  2. a group of languages spoken by the Mayas in southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, including Yucatec, Quiché, and Huastec.

Origin of Mayan

1
First recorded in 1885–90; May(a) + -an

Other words from Mayan

  • pseudo-Mayan, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Mayan in a sentence

  • Do we then find any likeness between the religion of the Mayans and Buddhism?

    The American Egypt | Channing Arnold
  • He holds that 20 was the highest number in use among the Mayans.

    The American Egypt | Channing Arnold
  • That the tapir was worshipped by the Mayans there is no doubt: ample proof exists.

    The American Egypt | Channing Arnold
  • But who were these Mayans, and where did they obtain their knowledge of building?

    The American Egypt | Channing Arnold

British Dictionary definitions for Mayan

Mayan

/ (ˈmaɪən) /


adjective
  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Maya or any of their languages

noun
  1. a family of Central American Indian languages, including Maya, possibly a member of the Penutian phylum

  2. another name for a Maya 2

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