tortilla

American  

[tawr-tee-uh, tawr-tee-yah] / tɔrˈti ə, tɔrˈti jɑ /

noun

Mexican Cooking.

• tortillas
  plural

1. a thin, round, unleavened bread prepared from cornmeal or sometimes wheat flour, baked on a flat plate of iron, earthenware, or the like.

---

tortilla British  

/ tɔːˈtiːə /

noun

1. Mexican cookery a kind of thin pancake made from corn meal and cooked on a hot griddle until dry

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tortillas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tortilla

1690–1700; < Spanish, equivalent to tort ( a ) cake ( see torte) + -illa diminutive suffix < Latin -ella

Explanation

A tortilla is a Central American and Mexican type of flatbread. A burrito is a mix of delicious fillings — like seasoned rice, chicken, beans, guacamole, and salsa — wrapped in a warm tortilla. Yum! Traditional tortillas are sort of like very flat pancakes made from cornmeal. Tortillas made of wheat flour are a newer variation. Corn tortillas have been a staple food in North and Central America for hundreds of years, long before Europeans began settling in the area. In Spanish, tortilla means "a tart" or "a little cake," from the Late Latin torta, or "flat cake."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tortilla tortillas

“I can eat a tortilla any time of the day. So, perfect for me.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Coming home without that unused tortilla press or those ill-fitting shorts does provide a certain sense of satisfaction.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 16, 2026

The meat browns, the tortilla crisps, and when you flip it, everything holds together like it was always meant to.

From Salon ● May 22, 2026

But to taste how Cho prefers them, begin by laying chicken into the warm tortilla.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

The hostess leads us to a big booth in the back, and a waiter stops by right away to drop off tortilla chips and take our drink orders.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

But she’d get the black beans and rice and tortillas and cheese and mix it all together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Flautas are a traditional Mexican dish made by rolling large tortillas generously filled with shredded chicken or beef, then deep-frying them.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

The tacos in Texas are definitely better because we have flour tortillas, and apparently, flour tortillas aren’t a thing in California.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

Spoon into warm tortillas and top with cilantro, green onion and another shake of smoked paprika.

From Salon ● May 19, 2026

The tortillas are still warm In a dish towel, Warm as gloves just Taken off, finger by finger.

From "Neighborhood Odes" by Gary Soto