tenochtitlan

noun

1. the capital of the Aztec empire: founded in 1325; destroyed by the Spaniards in 1521; now the site of Mexico City.

noun

1. an ancient city and capital of the Aztec empire on the present site of Mexico City; razed by Cortés in 1521

former Aztec city, Nahuatl, literally “place of the nopal rock,” from tetl “rock” + nuchtli “nopal,” a species of cactus sacred to the sun god.