nacho

noun

na·​cho ˈnä-(ˌ)chō 

plural nachos

: a tortilla chip topped with melted cheese and often additional savory toppings (such as hot peppers or refried beans)

Examples of nacho in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Seasoned fries get loaded up with chicken, nacho cheese, cheddar cheese, fiesta strips, sour cream and Caliente sauce for this limited-time option. —Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025

Seating areas, such as the one in the Key Largo store, and stores that sell local draft beer flights and have burrito and nacho bars, are becoming more common. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2025

Or did Blanco buy a bunch of nacho cheese from the store and hand-scoop all of that dip into the tub himself? —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025

The cheesy dipping burritos join a handful of new offerings also set to hit menus Jan. 16, including: Steak garlic nacho fries Baja Dream Freezes $5, $7, $9 Luxe Cravings Boxes Build Your Own Luxe Cravings Box Find your nearest Taco Bell here. —Tanasia Kenney, Kansas City Star, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Spanish Nacho, hypocoristic form of the personal name Ignacio

Note: According to a story that apparently first appeared in the San Antonio Express on May 23, 1954 ("Nacho's? Natch!", by Clarence D. LaRoche, p. 3H), the dish was devised in 1940 by Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya García (1895-1975), a waiter (in other versions a maitre d' or chef) at a restaurant in Piedras Negras, Mexico. As related by LaRoche and in later versions, the story has stock elements of a culinary origin myth: late in the day a waiter or chef is pressed to come up with food to satisfy hungry customers and with limited ingredients left in the kitchen invents a new dish. Similar stories purport to explain the origins of other eponymous dishes, as the Reuben sandwich, Buffalo wings and Caesar salad. Though a print connection between "Nacho" Anaya and nachos is relatively early—predating the popularity of the snack outside south Texas—the first citations for nacho, in 1948 and 1949, make no reference to him.

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

nacho

noun

na·​cho ˈnä-chō 

plural nachos

: a tortilla chip topped with melted cheese and often additional toppings (as hot peppers or refried beans)