tortilla

[tawr-tee-uh, tawr-tee-yah]

noun

Mexican Cooking.

plural

tortillas 

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

/ tɔːˈtiːə /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tortilla¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tortilla¹

C17: from Spanish: a little cake, from torta a round cake, from Late Latin; see _torte

Example Sentences

Many of the employees were Latino or Mexican, or maneuvered like veteran hospitality people, flipping tortillas and preparing salsas, or furiously mixing drinks.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s great as a dip with tortilla chips or on its own.

From Salon

Two women at a food stand squinted in the sunlight as they cooked whole chickens on a hot grill to serve with freshly made tortillas and beans and rice.

From Los Angeles Times

Encased in a flour tortilla is seasoned beef crumble, sharp shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes and onion and ketchup, mustard and pickled relish.

From Salon

Suárez holds a heart he fashioned in prison out of tortillas and toothpaste, with letters made from threads of the white shorts he wore.

From Los Angeles Times