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 taco features a stratum of smoke and heat, with the octopus piled onto a fresh corn tortilla with purple onions pickled Yucatan-style with citrus. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026

And a traditional three-piece chicken meal with tortillas, sides and salsa has as much as 94 grams, the chain’s website says. —Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 4 Mar. 2026

Last year, McDonald’s reintroduced the chicken Snack Wrap, a palm-size crispy chicken strip enveloped in a tortilla. —Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026

One of our most popular recipes ever, this creamy take on tortilla soup is made with pantry staples, chicken, and masa harina, which adds thickness. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 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
• 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"