nacho
Noun: A single, individual tortilla chip that is topped with melted cheese (and often other ingredients like jalapeño peppers or chili-pepper) and then broiled or heated until the cheese is melted and bubbly. It is a popular appetizer or snack.
The word "nacho" refers to one such prepared chip. It is a countable noun. * Would you like a nacho? * I ate three nachos from the plate. * The classic nacho is simple: a chip, cheese, and a pickled jalapeño slice.
- The waiter brought a basket of hot nachos to the table.
- She carefully constructed the perfect nacho, ensuring each chip had enough cheese and salsa.
- This recipe makes about 24 nachos.
- "Nacho" as an attributive noun: The word "nacho" is frequently used before another noun to describe things related to this food.
- We ordered a large nacho platter to share.
- What's your secret nacho cheese sauce recipe?
- He spilled nacho cheese on his shirt.
- Nachos (plural noun): This is the far more common form, referring to the dish as a whole, typically consisting of many chips covered with toppings.
- Let's get some nachos for the game.
- These nachos are loaded with beef, beans, and guacamole.
- Tortilla chip snack: A more general descriptive term.
- Cheese crisp: A similar, sometimes regional, term for a baked cheese-topped tortilla chip.
The singular "nacho" specifically denotes one unit of the prepared snack. In everyday conversation, the plural form "nachos" is used both to refer to multiple individual chips ("I ate ten nachos") and, more commonly, to the entire dish served on a plate or platter ("We shared an order of nachos"). The dish is strongly associated with Tex-Mex and Mexican-American cuisine.
- a tortilla chip topped with cheese and chili-pepper and broiled