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 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

Raw pork was stored directly on top of flour tortillas in the walk-in cooler. —Mackensy Lunsford, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Nov. 2025

Between lasagna-like layers of corn tortilla, ultra-creamy chicken, cheese, and Tex-Mex spices add up to comforting dinner straight from the oven. —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 9 Nov. 2025

All of this bounty was contained in a tortilla that is pleasingly plump without being structurally compromised. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 6 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"