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

The Golden State is still home to 1.3 million factory workers — the most in the nation — who make seemingly everything, from computer chips to tortillas. —Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

Get The Recipe 04 of 18 Steak Taco Salad For a healthier way to satisfy your taco cravings, forgo tortillas and corn chips in favor of spring mix salad greens loaded up with all your favorite fresh Tex-Mex toppings. —Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2024

In late November, the company issued a recall for its Fresh Gourmet Tortilla Strips Santa Fe Style, after a consumer contacted the firm to report that the pouches contained crispy onions, rather than the tortilla strips. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Bake until the tortillas are slightly crisped and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. —The View, ABC News, 27 Nov. 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"