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 burritos are often lumpy, with big boulders that stretch the tortilla to its limits. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025

Recipes for the tortillas and both meats are below. —Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025

Tortillas: Use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. —Lauren O'Connor, Ms, Rdn, Health, 16 Apr. 2025

Meats are freshly cooked, and every place worth its salt makes fresh tortillas, usually flour, in house. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 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"