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

See Examples For:

tortilla tortillas

The most concerning product that CR tested in terms of glycidyl esters was Takis Fuego tortilla chips.

From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026

“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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026

The suit guy backed out of the case, turned, and pinched a bag of tortilla chips against one of the six-packs he was carrying, Then he winked at me.

From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth

Perea and his crew make handmade tortillas and quesadillas for the event.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

For example, it might direct a shopper planning a taco night to all the ingredients, from tortillas to cheese to vegetables, which they might otherwise leave behind.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

When former taco stand El Ruso opened its flagship in Studio City last month, burritos wrapped in 18-inch Sonoran flour tortillas and stuffed with rib-eye or chile Colorado were priced at $20 each.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026

Unlike taquitos, flautas are typically longer and traditionally made with flour tortillas, though some varieties also call for corn tortillas.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

His wife, Angelina, round and short-haired in a tight plaid dress, was cooking tortillas in an outdoor shed with corrugated aluminum walls.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann