inca
inca Lexical Profile
inca Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Of or relating to the Inca people, their culture, or their empire in pre-Columbian South America.
"The museum recently opened an extensive exhibit featuring authentic Inca textiles and gold artifacts."
• noun
A member of the indigenous South American people who established a vast, dominant empire in the Andes Mountains of Peru prior to the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.
"The architectural marvels of Machu Picchu stand as a lasting testament to the engineering prowess of the Inca."
The supreme ruler or emperor of the ancient Inca empire.
"Atahualpa was the last ruling Inca before the arrival of Francisco Pizarro."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a proper noun and proper adjective, 'Inca' is always capitalized in standard English usage. The variant 'Incan' is also widely used as an adjective.
• Rhymes for inca
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Quechua 'inka', meaning 'lord', 'king', or 'royal person'. Originally referring specifically to the emperor and the ruling class, the Spanish later applied the term to all people belonging to the civilization.