enchilada

[ en-chuh-lah-duh, -lad-uh ]

nounMexican Cooking.
  1. a tortilla rolled and filled with a seasoned mixture, usually containing meat, and covered with a sauce flavored with chiles.

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Idioms about enchilada

  1. big / top enchilada, Slang. big enchilada.

  2. whole enchilada, Slang. the entirety of something, especially something impressive or outstanding: She has a job with money, prestige, and satisfaction—the whole enchilada.

Origin of enchilada

1
First recorded in 1885–90; from Central American Spanish, feminine of Spanish enchilado “spiced with chile” (past participle of enchilar ), equivalent to en- causative prefix + chil(e) “chile pepper” + -ado adjective suffix; see origin at en-1, chili, -ate1

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British Dictionary definitions for enchilada

enchilada

/ (ˌɛntʃɪˈlɑːdə) /


noun
  1. a Mexican dish consisting of a tortilla fried in hot fat, filled with meat, and served with a chilli sauce

Origin of enchilada

1
C19: American Spanish, feminine of enchilado seasoned with chilli, from enchilar to spice with chilli, from chile chilli

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with enchilada

enchilada

see big cheese (enchilada); whole ball of wax (enchilada).

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.