Burrito
/bəˈriː.toʊ/noun
A flour tortilla wrapped around a filling, typically meat, beans, rice, or other ingredients.
Did you know?The word is Spanish diminutive of *burro* (“donkey”), and the food name likely emerged in Mexico as a playful metaphor for something that carries a heavy load inside it.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
burricus
“a small horse or pony”
Old Spanish
Spanish
burro
“donkey”
Spanish
Spanish
burrito
“little donkey; later, by extension, a rolled food item”
Early 20th Century
Spanish/Mexican Spanish
burrito
“a tortilla wrapped around a filling”
Modern English
English
burrito
“a stuffed rolled tortilla”