Chi·mu or Chi·mú (ch?-mo?o?)n. A civilization flourishing on the northern coast of Peru from about 1200 to its absorption by the Inca Empire around 1460, known especially for its well-planned cities such as its capital, Chan Chan.[American Spanish Chimú.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.