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

Finish it with plenty of Cheddar cheese and crunchy tortilla strips for a pretty and delicious garnish. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026

The cooks flatten each thin sheet of beef with a tortilla press — a new-in-Texas thing. —Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026

Last summer, a teen went viral on TikTok after bringing 200 of the tortillas on a plane in Texas. —Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026

In some regions, criminals charge taxes on just about anything — tortillas and chicken, cigarettes and beer. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 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"