taco

[ tah-koh; Spanish tah-kaw ]

noun

, plural ta·cos [tah, -kohz, tah, -kaws].

1. Mexican Cooking. a tortilla filled with various ingredients, as beans, rice, chopped meat, cheese, and tomatoes, and folded over in half or rolled into a loose cylinder shape: The downside of hard-shell tacos is that you can’t fit as much stuff in a fried tortilla.

   My favorite breakfast taco has eggs, bacon, and cheese on a flour tortilla.

   The downside of hard-shell tacos is that you can’t fit as much stuff in a fried tortilla.

taco

/ ˈtɑːkəʊ /

noun

1. Mexican cookery a tortilla folded into a roll with a filling and usually fried

Word History and Origins

Origin of taco¹

First recorded in 1930–35; from Mexican Spanish; perhaps a shortening of taco de minero “miner’s plug,” from the resemblance of the food to an explosive charge used in silver mines, from Spanish taco “wad, plug, wedge”; further origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of taco¹

from Mexican Spanish, from Spanish: literally, a snack, a bite to eat

Example Sentences

Of all the things that could have caused Ashley Murcia to come undone, she did not expect it to be tacos.

From Washington Post

“I love this taco recipe, because it’s approachable, bright, and satisfying,” says Jasmine Shimoda, chef and owner of Jewel, a plant-based restaurant in Los Angeles.

From Outside Online

In June, she moved to a pop-up at Little Beast in Chevy Chase, where her menu grew to include tacos and birria.

From Washington Post

“Want,” I said as I pointed to one of the taco pictures, flapping the menu around for emphasis.

From Ozy

Alberto Perez is a freelance writer currently based out of Seattle, but he’d rather be back in Texas eating tacos.

From Eater

“In 20 years, this just might be a city of Taco Bells,” one restaurateur recently shuddered.

From The Daily Beast

This is why Web tools are valuable, as are lunches at taco stands.

From The Daily Beast

But now they have brewpubs, pour-over coffee joints and kimchi taco stands.

From The Daily Beast

The notion to morph a specialty tortilla chip into a taco shell at first may sound like it would be a snap.

From The Daily Beast

INSIDER TIP: Head downtown for salutatorian Fusion Taco, another food truck turned brick-and-mortar.

From The Daily Beast

“If you think that Taco is no better than a Spartan, you know nothing at all about him,” he said, fiercely.

From Project Gutenberg

Her thoughts still wandered over all those people and finally halted at Taco Quaerts.

From Project Gutenberg

“Taco Quaerts is always very correct in matters of etiquette,” said Anna, defending him.

From Project Gutenberg

Cecile saw Taco Quaerts come up to her; he bowed before her; she bowed coldly in return, not offering him her hand.

From Project Gutenberg

But Taco Quaerts seems to be quite infallible in the eyes of all of you.

From Project Gutenberg