masa

noun

ma·​sa ˈmä-sə How to pronounce masa (audio)
: a dough used in Mexican cuisine (as for tortillas and tamales) that is made from ground corn soaked in a lime and water solution
also : masa harina

Examples of masa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On top of the masa is your protein of choice, lettuce, onions, queso and crema, with your choice of salsa. Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 24 Aug. 2025 The trompo is worth ordering for the visuals alone, even if the flavor of the meat, seasoned only with salt, nearly vanishes between the tortilla’s dusky masa sweetness and a tangy, pond-green salsa of avocado and tomatillos. Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025 And in a sunny Austin alley outfitted with makeshift milk crate tables, earlybird Texans sip chamomile-maize soda and revel in Mercado Sin Nombre’s dusky masa pancakes. Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025 Their goal is to plant and grow these native Mexican corns at their Mesa Agricola farm, then nixtamalize the kernels to make their own masa in-house. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for masa

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, mash, dough

First Known Use

circa 1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of masa was circa 1896

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Masa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masa. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

masa

noun
ma·​sa ˈmä-sə How to pronounce masa (audio)
: a dough used in Mexican cuisine (as for tortillas and tamales) that is made from ground corn soaked in a lime and water solution
also : masa harina

More from Merriam-Webster on masa

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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