tlachtli

T1L1A1C3H4T1L1I1

noun

A ceremonial ball game once played by the Aztecs; evolved into the ulama game.

OriginClassical Nahuatl tlachtli →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nountlachtli (usually uncountable, plural tlachtlis)

plural tlachtlis

  1. historicaluncountableusuallyhobbiesA ceremonial ball game once played by the Aztecs; evolved into the ulama game.

    2000, Phyllis Barkas Goldman & John Grigni, Monkeyshines on Ancient Cultures The object of tlachtli was to keep the rubber ball from touching the ground while trying to push it to the opponent's endline.

  2. countablehistoricalusuallyhobbiesThe high-walled court in which this game was played.

Origin

  1. Classical Nahuatltlachtli
  2. Classical Nahuatltlachtli
  3. Englishtlachtli

Borrowed from Classical Nahuatl tlachtli.

More words from Classical Nahuatl

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tlachtli. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tlachtli

MLA

“tlachtli.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tlachtli. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tlachtli,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tlachtli.

Source: tlachtli on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.