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

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

A company called Zack’s Mighty boasts: “We make delicious tortilla chips that don’t break in guacamole.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026

Sometimes, when her children cried with hunger, she scrounged together enough to buy a bit of tortilla dough and mixed it into a big glass of water to fill their bellies.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

I like to work with slightly warm tortillas and line the outer edges with a simple wheat paste to secure the tortilla in place.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

Some noted that “street tacos” are made with corn tortillas and bought from a food truck or street stall.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

Others noted that “street tacos” are made with corn tortillas and bought from a food truck or street stall.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

Corn tortillas and other relatively lightly processed corn foods are more likely to show price responses within a few months after corn prices increase.

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2026

One of them offered him a couple of warm tortillas, which he scarfed down in a few snapping bites.

From "The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart