Phrase guide

flower war

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A kind of ritual war fought intermittently between the Aztec Triple Alliance and its enemies.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: flowery war, garland war, war of flowers

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Calque of Classical Nahuatl xochiyaoyotl. Named either for: * the death involved known as xochimiquiztli (“flowery death”), a glorious death in war where the souls of warriors go to a paradise * the splendid costumes worn by warriors, causing them to be compared to flowers ripe for harvest