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

From the tortillas to the marinades, everything is made in-house with the freshest chilies, onions, and cilantro. —Natalie Hoy, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025

There were unclean utensils in the bus tub and a tortilla press next to the prep area. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2025

The school had a longstanding tradition of throwing tortillas on the field, but officials voted 15-1 to ban the act before the season. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025

Alongside other growers who will set up stalls on the perimeter of the space, Galvan Foods, the local tortilla and taco company that’s a mainstay of the outdoor market, is set to head inside to take over the large central counter-service kitchen. —Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 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"