tortilla

noun

tor·​ti·​lla tȯr-ˈtē-yə 

: a thin round of unleavened cornmeal or wheat flour bread usually eaten hot with a topping or filling (as of ground meat or cheese)

Examples of tortilla in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Top with crispy tortilla strips, extra cheese, cilantro, and sour cream to your liking. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024

The 1970s is represented with the Green Sauce Burrito, which combines refried beans, onions, shredded cheese and a tomatillo-jalapeño green sauce in a soft tortilla for $2.49. —Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024

The Ghosts of John Tanton The workers filtered out to the handful of Hispanic businesses near the Port of Terrebonne to buy tortillas for the weekend and to wire money home. —Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2024

Heat the tortilla in the dry skillet to toast it, about 1 minute on each side. —Lynn Forbes, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from American Spanish (Mexico, Central America, parts of the Caribbean and South America), from Spanish, diminutive of torta "cake, pastry," going back to Late Latin tōrta "round loaf of bread" — more at tart entry 2

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tortilla

• tortilla chip

Kids Definition

tortilla

noun

tor·​ti·​lla tȯr-ˈtē-(y)ə 

: a thin round of unleavened cornmeal or wheat flour bread

Etymology

American Spanish, literally "little cake," from Spanish torta "cake"