captives of war who were killed as sacrificial offerings before divinities or sacred forces (see Molina)
Alonso de Molina:
xochimicque. captiuos enguerra, los quales eran sacrificados y muertos, delante los idolos. Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, 1571, part 2, Nahuatl to Spanish, f. 160r. col. 2. Thanks to Joe Campbell for providing the transcription.