taco

American  

[tah-koh, tah-kaw] / ˈtɑ koʊ, ˈtɑ kɔ /

noun

plural

tacos

1. 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: The downside of hard-shell tacos is that you can’t fit as much stuff in a fried tortilla.

   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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taco British  

/ ˈtɑːkəʊ /

noun

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

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Etymology

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

Compare meaning

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

• taco vs. burrito

Example Sentences

Their fast-paced lives have given rise to a beloved family ritual: Korean taco night.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

For the full Cho-Park experience, let everyone assemble their own taco.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

In Portland, Ore., an independent service station owner turned off his pumps and turned his place into a drive-through taco shop.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

All American companies—from behemoth pharmaceutical companies to the taco truck on your street corner—must comply with federal and state regulations on consumer protection, privacy, and labor standards, just to name a few.

From Barron's • Dec. 4, 2025

“This is your room. Whatever. I’m hungry. I’m going to get lunch at that taco food truck. You guys want anything?”

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon