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.

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nacho British  

/ ˈnɑːtʃəʊ /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nachos
  plural

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

See Examples For:

nacho nachos

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

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

Matthews’s team ran through 10 variations before settling on one coated in seasoning and dipped in nacho cheese sauce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025

Then I went home and I sat on the couch with a family-sized bag of nacho Doritos.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2024

Meanwhile, the interior gets loaded with fajita-style chicken, housemade nacho cheese sauce and pico de gallo, a natural friend to any tostada.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 5, 2023

Of all the days for the main road in town to be covered with nacho cheese.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Customers have gaped at his portion sizes, he said—one woman ordered a plate of nachos and consumed roughly four bites.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

They slurped the cafe’s signature lavashak smoothie — a tart mixture including peaches, various berries and pomegranate molasses — and munched on slow-cooked lamb over nachos with melty Armenian string cheese.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 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

"We'd be looking for the nachos and the popcorn."

From BBC ● Jan. 12, 2025

Once I finished competing in my events, I would spend the rest of the day huddled in the bleachers with my friends chatting and laughing, or at the concession stand grabbing warm pretzels and nachos.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad