Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Mesoamerica

American  
[mez-oh-uh-mer-i-kuh, mes-, mee-zoh-, -soh-] / ˌmɛz oʊ əˈmɛr ɪ kə, ˌmɛs-, ˌmi zoʊ-, -soʊ- /
Or Meso-America

noun

  1. Anthropology, Archaeology. the area extending approximately from central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua in which diverse pre-Columbian civilizations flourished.

  2. (loosely) Central America.


Mesoamerica British  
/ ˌmɛsəʊəˈmɛrɪkə /

noun

  1. another name for Central America

"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

Other Word Forms

  • Mesoamerican adjective

Etymology

Origin of Mesoamerica

meso- + America

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Until now it was thought that writing developed in Mesopotamia around 3,000 BCE, followed by hieroglyphics in Egypt and later in China and Mesoamerica.

From BBC

Mr. Darnielle’s happy place, clearly, is among the ancient Greeks and the gods of Mesoamerica.

From The Wall Street Journal

"If we lose the last great forests of Central America -- and we are -- we lose the birds that define our eastern forests in North America," said Jeremy Radachowsky, Regional Director for WCS's Mesoamerica Program.

From Science Daily

From its display case in the museum’s “Stories from Mesoamerica” hall, the iridescent plumage shimmers like a rainbow encased in glass, a tropical interloper to these northern climes.

From Los Angeles Times

Archaeological evidence suggests that cacao has been cultivated in Mesoamerica for at least 5,000 years.

From Los Angeles Times