Olmec

noun

Ol·​mec ˈäl-ˌmek How to pronounce Olmec (audio)
ˈōl-
: an ancient people of the southern east coast of Mexico who flourished about 1200 to 400 b.c.

Examples of Olmec in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Educators will also teach visitors the history and science of how chocolate has been cultivated by multiple groups, including Olmec, Maya and Aztec people. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 17 Sep. 2024 The book trawls the depths of human history, meandering from Neolithic Ukraine to the Sumerians of Mesopotamia to the Harappan civilization of the Indus River basin to the Olmec, Yurok, and Wyandot peoples of the Americas and on even to the European Enlightenment. Walter Scheidel, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Nahuatl Ōlmēcah, a coastal people in Aztec history, from Ōlmān, their homeland, probably from ōlli rubber

First Known Use

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Olmec was in 1852

Dictionary Entries Near Olmec

Cite this Entry

“Olmec.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Olmec. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

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