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

Flamin' Hot Cheeto corn dog ($14): Topnotch Concessions dips the traditional Illinois treat in nacho cheese then coats it with flamin' hot flakes. —Moyo Adeolu, Axios, 13 Aug. 2024

And there is never a need to wrap a hard-shell taco in a soft flour tortilla, fused together by a thin layer of nacho cheese, but that is the Taco Bell way. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2024

For example, three nacho cheese Doritos Locos tacos amount to 1,080 mg of sodium (47% of the DV). —Anthea Levi, Health, 23 July 2024

The chain recently launched the latest iteration of its popular nacho fries, this one featuring a creamy chipotle ranch sauce and pico de gallo. —Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 19 July 2024

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)