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enchilada

[ en-chuh-lah-duh, -lad-uh ]
/ ˌɛn tʃəˈlɑ də, -ˈlæd ə /
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noun Mexican Cooking.

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 for enchilada

    big / top enchilada, Slang. big enchilada.
    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

First recorded in 1885–90; from 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

Words nearby enchilada

enchanter's nightshade, enchanting, enchantment, enchantress, enchase, enchilada, enchiridion, enchondral, enchondroma, enchondromatosis, enchondrosarcoma
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for enchilada

British Dictionary definitions for enchilada

enchilada
/ (ˌɛntʃɪˈlɑːdə) /

noun

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

Word Origin for enchilada

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

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.
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