Nacho Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

nacho American [nah-choh] / ˈnɑ tʃoʊ /

noun

Mexican Cooking.

plural

nachos

1. a snack or appetizer consisting of a tortilla chip topped with cheese, pickled jalapeño peppers, refried beans, etc., and baked or broiled.

nacho British / ˈnɑːtʃəʊ /

noun

1. Mexican cookery a snack consisting of a piece of tortilla topped with cheese, hot peppers, etc, and grilled

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nacho

First recorded in 1945–50; from Mexican Spanish Nacho, nickname for the male given name Ignacio, specifically, Ignacio Anaya, a Mexican chef who supposedly invented the dish in the mid-1940s

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Tripe stew, nachos, even “mac” and cheese arrive with ridged, cut-up fried dough standing in for potatoes, tortilla chips, or pasta.

From Salon

Matthews’s team ran through 10 variations before settling on one coated in seasoning and dipped in nacho cheese sauce.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Louisville, back when I was a public radio reporter spending my meager Derby winnings, a now-shuttered burrito joint near the track served something that was essentially nacho fries: queso, grilled meat, pico, sour cream.

From Salon

There’s a copious amount of nacho cheese involved.

From Salon

The Atlanta Falcons, the NFL team credited with starting the trend, offer hot dogs, sodas, popcorn and pretzels at $2 each, with $3 items including sweet tea, peach shakes, nachos and vegan dogs.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.