taco

[ tah-koh; Spanish tah-kaw ]

/ ˈtɑ koʊ; Spanish ˈtɑ kɔ /

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noun, plural ta·cos

[tah-kohz; Spanish tah-kaws]. /ˈtɑ koʊz; Spanish ˈtɑ kɔs/.

Mexican Cooking. a tortilla filled with various ingredients, as beans, rice, chopped meat, cheese, and tomatoes, and folded over in half or rolled into a loose cylinder shape: My favorite breakfast taco has eggs, bacon, and cheese on a flour tortilla.The downside of hard-shell tacos is that you can’t fit as much stuff in a fried tortilla.

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Origin of taco

First recorded in 1930–35; from Mexican Spanish; perhaps a shortening of taco de minero “miner’s plug,” from the resemblance of the food to an explosive charge used in silver mines, from Spanish taco “wad, plug, wedge”; further origin uncertain

Words nearby taco

tacky, Tacloban, tacmahack, Tacna-Arica, tacnode, taco, Tacoma, Taconic Mountains, taconite, tact, tactful

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use taco in a sentence

Of all the things that could have caused Ashley Murcia to come undone, she did not expect it to be tacos.
‘Oh, we’re still in this.’ The pandemic wall is here.|Maura Judkis|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
“I love this taco recipe, because it’s approachable, bright, and satisfying,” says Jasmine Shimoda, chef and owner of Jewel, a plant-based restaurant in Los Angeles.
How to Cook with Plant-Based Beef|Christine Byrne|January 16, 2021|Outside Online
In June, she moved to a pop-up at Little Beast in Chevy Chase, where her menu grew to include tacos and birria.
Taqueria Xochi serves mouthwatering Mexican food from a tiny U Street storefront|Tom Sietsema|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
“Want,” I said as I pointed to one of the taco pictures, flapping the menu around for emphasis.
The Best Taco in Morocco? Hell, Yeah!|Eugene Robinson|December 15, 2020|Ozy

Alberto Perez is a freelance writer currently based out of Seattle, but he’d rather be back in Texas eating tacos.
Eric Rivera Is Playing the Game|Alberto Perez|October 1, 2020|Eater
“In 20 years, this just might be a city of Taco Bells,” one restaurateur recently shuddered.
High Rents Are Killing the Restaurant Capital|Will Doig|October 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This is why Web tools are valuable, as are lunches at taco stands.
You Can Look It Up: The Wikipedia Story|Walter Isaacson|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But now they have brewpubs, pour-over coffee joints and kimchi taco stands.
Is Brooklyn Becoming Unsafe for Gays? It Depends On Which Ones|Jay Michaelson|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The notion to morph a specialty tortilla chip into a taco shell at first may sound like it would be a snap.
Taste Sensation Innovation||September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
INSIDER TIP: Head downtown for salutatorian Fusion Taco, another food truck turned brick-and-mortar.
Foodie Heaven in Houston|Michele Meyer|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“If you think that Taco is no better than a Spartan, you know nothing at all about him,” he said, fiercely.
Ecstasy: A Study of Happiness|Louis Couperus
Her thoughts still wandered over all those people and finally halted at Taco Quaerts.
Ecstasy: A Study of Happiness|Louis Couperus
“Taco Quaerts is always very correct in matters of etiquette,” said Anna, defending him.
Ecstasy: A Study of Happiness|Louis Couperus
Cecile saw Taco Quaerts come up to her; he bowed before her; she bowed coldly in return, not offering him her hand.
Ecstasy: A Study of Happiness|Louis Couperus
But Taco Quaerts seems to be quite infallible in the eyes of all of you.
Ecstasy: A Study of Happiness|Louis Couperus

British Dictionary definitions for taco

taco

/ (ˈtɑːkəʊ) /

noun plural -cos

Mexican cookery a tortilla folded into a roll with a filling and usually fried

Word Origin for taco

from Mexican Spanish, from Spanish: literally, a snack, a bite to eat

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