Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An early Mesoamerican Indian civilization centered in the Veracruz region of southeast Mexico that flourished between 1300 and 400 BC, whose cultural influence was widespread throughout southern Mexico and Central America.
  • noun A member of any of various peoples sharing the Olmec culture.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A member of an ancient pre-Columbian people living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in what are roughly the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a member of an early Mesoamerican civilization centered around Veracruz that flourished between 1300 and 400 BC

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Nahuatl Ōlmēcah, plural of Ōlmēcatl, an Olmec, from Ōlmān, Olmec homeland (literally, “land of rubber”), from ōlli, rubber from the tree Castilla elastica.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Nahuatl, meaning rubber lineage (compare Nahuatl olli ("rubber")).

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Examples

  • Olmec translates as "rubber people" in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec).

    Museum Blogs 2010

  • It is believed that the original game, known as ulama (from the Nahuatl word "olli" meaning rubber), was invented by the Olmecs (the word Olmec is also believed to be derived from the Nahuatl word "olli") around 1500BC.

    History of Sport Resulting in Sudden Death Near Puerto Vallarta 2008

  • WITHOUT a word Olmec balled his free hand into a huge fist and stretched the wounded warrior senseless at his feet.

    The Conquering Sword of Conan Howard, Robert E. 2005

  • WITHOUT a word Olmec balled his free hand into a huge fist and stretched the wounded warrior senseless at his feet.

    The Conquering Sword Of Conan Howard, Robert E. 2005

  • Without a word Olmec balled his free hand into a huge fist and stretched the wounded warrior senseless at his feet.

    The Conan Chronicles Howard, Robert E. 1989

  • Without a word Olmec balled his free hand into a huge fist and stretched the wounded warrior senseless at his feet.

    Red Nails Howard, Robert E. 1975

  • Without a word Olmec balled his free hand into a huge fist and stretched the wounded warrior senseless at his feet.

    Conan The Warrior Howard, Robert E. 1973

  • Without a word Olmec balled his free hand into a huge fist and stretched the wounded warrior senseless at his feet.

    Conan The Warrior Howard, Robert E. 1967

  • Not until 1942 was it publicly asserted that the Olmec was the " mother culture " of Mesoamerica i.e., Mexico plus Central America.

    Mysteries Carved in Stone David Littlejohn 2010

  • Veracruz was the home of the Olmec, which is considered the mother culture of Mexico.

    Veracruz: traveling the Central High Plains of Mexico 2006

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