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

Don’t sleep on the corn tortillas to scoop it all up. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026

Italian turkey sausage, cheese, and pizza sauce are all wrapped up in a crispy tortilla. — Jasmine Thompson, Midwest Living, 2 July 2026

After eight years of serving tacos in North Beach, Taquiza is taking its famous blue corn tortillas and closing up shop. — Connie Ogle june 30, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026

Try using ingredients like corn tortillas, scrambled eggs, avocado, tomato, black beans, and cilantro. — Morgan Pearson, Verywell Health, 30 June 2026

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

Rhymes for tortilla

• aliya
• aliyah
• althea
• apnoea
• dyspnea
• dyspnoea
• hosea
• idea
• kshatriya
• kyrie
• lutea
• maria

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"