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.

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tortilla British  

/ tɔːˈtiːə /

noun

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

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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

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

From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026

Slimp: I love steak fajita with flour tortilla, of course, cheese, and guac.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

So, I reached for what I had instead: a handful of tortilla chips, crushed between my fingers and stirred into the softened vegetables until they melted, then blitzed smooth.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

As he tore savagely through the crisp tortilla, Salvador mumbled, “Paco told me last night that it was another poor catch this time. There won’t be much money.”

From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty