burrito

American  

[buh-ree-toh, boor-ree-taw] / bəˈri toʊ, burˈri tɔ /

noun

Mexican Cooking.

• burritos
  plural

1. a tortilla folded over a filling, as of ground beef, grated cheese, or refried beans.

---

burrito British  

/ bəˈriːtəʊ /

noun

1. Mexican cookery a tortilla folded over a filling of minced beef, chicken, cheese, or beans

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• burritos
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of burrito

First recorded in 1940–45; from Mexican Spanish (Guerrero): “stuffed taco,” Spanish: “young donkey, foal,” equivalent to burr(o) “donkey” + -ito diminutive suffix; see origin at burro

---

Compare meaning

How does burrito compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• burrito vs. chimichanga
• enchilada vs. burrito
• taco vs. burrito
• burro vs. burrito

---

Explanation

A burrito is a delicious Mexican dish made of foods like beans, cheese, or other fillings rolled up in a soft tortilla. Eat a big burrito for lunch, and you may still be full at dinnertime. In Spanish, burrito means "little donkey" or "little burro," a name that may have been inspired by the rolled packs that working burros carry on their backs. Burritos are common in northern parts of Mexico and areas of the U.S. that border that country. Over the years, the burrito's popularity has spread widely, along with other Mexican dishes such as nachos and tacos. Authentic Mexican burritos tend to be smaller and have fewer ingredients than their U.S. counterparts.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

burrito burritos

Starbucks Energy Refreshers drinks, which are served cold, could be served up with a burrito bowl in the afternoon or evening at Chipotle, for instance, she said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

“When I’m home and I’m exhausted, I’m like, ‘I can’t spend $30 for, like, a burrito right now.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

A prototype for a frozen burrito with the same protein load was scrapped, because the tortilla couldn’t hold that much filling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

A delicious, slender bean-and-cheese burrito with no sauce at the venerable Al & Bea’s in Boyle Heights is going for six bucks and change right now when it was about $2 cheaper two years ago.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Or, in the case of our barren wasteland of a refrigerator, three-quarters of a thing of yogurt and half of a microwave bean burrito.

From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick

The researchers compare it to approximately 40 million dump trucks' worth of matter, or about 1.3 trillion one-pound burritos every second.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026

“That’s easier to view as a potential reality than, say, burritos in Starbucks,” Zackfia said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Except my little freezer stash of homemade breakfast burritos had also dwindled to nothing, and I knew exactly what Monday morning would look like without some intervention: Wake up.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

Rob has found the simple spag bol a versatile recipe: "You can just adapt a couple of things for chilli or lots of burritos."

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Then I cried until it was time for embarrassment, burritos, and a long call from Dad to Mom.

From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---