nacho

American  

[nah-choh] / ˈnɑ tʃoʊ /

noun

Mexican Cooking.

plural

nachos

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

---

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

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

In Louisville, back when I was a public radio reporter spending my meager Derby winnings, a now-shuttered burrito joint near the track served something that was essentially nacho fries: queso, grilled meat, pico, sour cream.

From Salon • Sep. 16, 2025

Or think about swapping a drinks bar for a nacho bar where your guests can customize their meals.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 4, 2024

A crash on Interstate 30 in Arkansas left road crews dealing with a case of queso — a truck carrying nacho cheese took a spill, leaving the highway covered in the cheesy condiment.

From Washington Times • Aug. 4, 2023

J.T. and I—we’ll pig out on Bagel Bites and frozen cheese pizza—and we can put away a whole bag of spicy nacho chips between us.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings