taco

IPA/ˈtækəʊ/
KK[tˈɑko]IPA/ˈtɑːkəʊ/

taco — noun

  • tacosingular
  • tacosplural

1. a Mexican dish made by placing a filling — such as seasoned meat, beans, cheese,

1.nounA2
Definition

a Mexican dish made by placing a filling — such as seasoned meat, beans, cheese, or fish — inside a folded corn or wheat flatbread called a tortilla, often topped with sauce or vegetables

Example

Liam stopped at a food truck to buy two fish tacos for lunch.

collocation: fish taco / beef taco — filling + taco

The taco was filled with spicy beef, fresh lettuce, and a creamy sauce.

passive: was filled with [ingredients]

Common collocations
  • spicy taco
  • fish taco
  • chicken taco
  • soft taco
  • hard-shell taco
  • taco stand
  • taco filling
  • taco shell

Grammar Patterns

[filling] + taco

taco + [preposition: with]

Usage Note

Countable noun. Tacos come in two main styles: hard-shell (a fried U-shaped corn tortilla) and soft (a pliable corn or flour tortilla that is folded). When ordering, you typically name the filling first: 'chicken tacos,' 'fish tacos.'

Common Mistakes

I ate a taco that was fully wrapped like a burrito.
A taco is open at one end, while a burrito is completely wrapped.
A taco is folded or left partially open, not sealed shut like a burrito.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four dishes use tortillas and fillings, but they differ in shape and preparation. A taco is a folded or open-faced tortilla stuffed with meat, fish, beans, or vegetables — the tortilla stays relatively flat. A burrito is a large flour tortilla fully wrapped around its filling like a sealed package. A quesadilla is made by folding a tortilla over melted cheese (plus optional fillings) and grilling it until crispy. An enchilada is a rolled tortilla covered in sauce and baked. For example: 'I ordered two chicken tacos and a bean burrito.'

burrito ↗quesadillaenchilada ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • taco bar
  • taco night
  • taco Tuesday
  • street taco

Prepositions

Etymology

NahuatlSpanishEnglish

The word 'taco' entered English from Mexican Spanish in the early 20th century. The Spanish word taco originally meant 'plug' or 'light snack,' describing the way the filling plugs the folded tortilla. The Spanish term may trace further back to Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec people, where a similar word referred to a type of tortilla.