Meanings
nounquipu (plural quipus)
plural quipus · alternative khipu · alternative quipo
- A recording device, used by the Incas, consisting of intricate knotted cords.
Among a cache of 21 quipus recovered from a house, probably that of the chief quipu keeper, seven are clearly related in a three-tier accounting hierarchy.
2005 August 16, Nicholas Wade, “Those Ancient Incan Knots? Tax Accounting, Researchers Suggest”, in The New York Times
Origin
- Quechuakhipu“knot”
- Spanishquipu
- Englishquipu
Borrowed from Spanish quipu, from Quechua khipu (“knot”).
More words from Spanish, Quechua
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese 結繩 /结绳
- 結繩 /结绳 (jiéshéng)recording device of knotted cords
Czech kipu
- kipurecording device of knotted cords
Japanese キープ
- キープ (kīpu)recording device of knotted cords
Māori tauponapona
- tauponaponarecording device of knotted cords
Polish pismo węzełkowe
- pismo węzełkowerecording device of knotted cords
Portuguese quipo
- quiporecording device of knotted cords
Russian ки́пу
- ки́пу (kípu)recording device of knotted cords
Spanish quipu
- quipurecording device of knotted cords
Cite this entry
APA
quipu. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quipu
MLA
“quipu.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quipu. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “quipu,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/quipu.
Source: quipu on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.