quesadilla

[ key-suh-dee-uh; Spanish ke-sah-thee-yah ]

noun

, Mexican Cooking.

, plural que·sa·dil·las [key-s, uh, -, dee, -, uh, z, ke-sah-, thee, -yahs].

1. a tortilla folded over a filling of shredded cheese, and sometimes vegetables or meat, cooked on a griddle or the like.

quesadilla

/ ˌkeɪsəˈdiːljə; -ˈdiːjə /

noun

1. a toasted tortilla filled with cheese and sometimes other ingredients

Word History and Origins

Origin of quesadilla¹

First recorded in 1940–45; from Mexican Spanish; Spanish: “a pastry or cake made with cheese,” equivalent to quesada ( queso “cheese,” from Latin cāseus; cheese ¹ + -ada noun suffix) + -illa diminutive suffix; -ade ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of quesadilla¹

C21: from Spanish, diminutive of queso cheese

Example Sentences

"We then made a kind of quesadilla or panini where the bismuth is the cheesy filling and the tortillas are the atomically flat surfaces," said Wu.

From Science Daily

As a result, Pineda now has to have a side hustle, selling quesadillas — a Salvadoran sweet bread — to make up for the loss in income.

From Los Angeles Times

For instance, substituting "pastry" for "quesadilla" could significantly affect comprehension for students from diverse backgrounds.

From Science Daily

One of the many pastries Sibrian offers is the quesadilla sweet cake, a traditional Salvadoran treat often enjoyed with coffee, unlike the Mexican tortilla-and-cheese quesadilla.

From Seattle Times

The meat was well-spiced and a colleague agreed that the quesadilla was “better than it needed to be.”

From Los Angeles Times