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

An employee was observed handling ready-to-eat tortilla, rice and lettuce with bare hands and seen re-entering the kitchen after handling a broom and dustpan outside without washing their hands. —Katie Nixon, Nashville Tennessean, 28 Nov. 2025

Set aside to garnish tortilla soup. —Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 25 Nov. 2025

Eat corn tortillas instead of flour ones. —Michaeleen Doucleff, NPR, 24 Nov. 2025

The Pizzadilla layers cheese, birria, onion, and cilantro between three flour tortillas and is sliced into eight shareable pieces. —Vivian Chung, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025

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
• coffea
• dyspnea
• dyspnoea
• hosea
• idea
• kshatriya
• maria
• medea

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"