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nacho

American  
[nah-choh] / ˈnɑ tʃoʊ /

noun

Mexican Cooking.
  • nachos
    plural
  1. a snack or appetizer consisting of a tortilla chip topped with cheese, pickled jalapeño peppers, refried beans, etc., and baked or broiled.


nacho British  
/ ˈnɑːtʃəʊ /

noun

  1. Mexican cookery a snack consisting of a piece of tortilla topped with cheese, hot peppers, etc, and grilled

"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 Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of nacho

First recorded in 1945–50; from Mexican Spanish Nacho, nickname for the male given name Ignacio, specifically, Ignacio Anaya, a Mexican chef who supposedly invented the dish in the mid-1940s


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Did free chips and salsa, with nacho cheese fountains, not make the cut?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Kayley said another reason she carried on was because she was looking forward to a nacho bar.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

There’s a copious amount of nacho cheese involved.

From Salon ● May 15, 2025

The other fillings seemed to be present — seasoned beef, nacho cheese sauce, iceberg lettuce, tomato and sour cream make this a sort of reconfigured burrito.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 5, 2023

On the wet sidewalk covered with drips of mustard and cheesy nacho crumbs.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy

Yes, “Spa Weekend” is a plate of reheated “Wedding Crashers” nachos, because no one stirs up cheerful chaos like the spirited Fisher.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

“We have a few really die-hard salad customers and a few folks who love the fully loaded nachos with all of the vegetables,” Fluhler said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

And on Sunday night, as America was heating up nachos for Super Bowl parties, Team USA’s skaters were lacing up for their own winner-take-all showdown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026

Tripe stew, nachos, even “mac” and cheese arrive with ridged, cut-up fried dough standing in for potatoes, tortilla chips, or pasta.

From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2025

He’s already worked his way through a bag of popcorn, a box of gummy bears, nachos, a root beer, and a milk shake.

From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm

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