# taco

/ˈtɑkoʊ/ (US) · /tˈɑːkəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/taco
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. Mexican food

noun · CEFR A1

a Mexican dish made of a small, folded tortilla filled with meat, beans, cheese, or vegetables.

For teachers: a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a corn or wheat tortilla folded or rolled around a filling such as seasoned meat, beans, or salsa.

- We had beef tacos with spicy salsa and fresh lime for dinner.
- The street vendor prepared authentic tacos al pastor, expertly slicing the marinated pork directly into small, hand-pressed corn tortillas.

### 2. to fold or buckle

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

to accidentally fold or bend something, like a bicycle wheel, until it is ruined.

For teachers: to fold or cause an object to buckle in half, typically referring to the structural failure of a circular object like a wheel.

- I hit a deep hole in the road and tacoed my front bike wheel.
- The impact was severe enough to taco the rim, leaving the cyclist stranded miles from the nearest repair shop.

Usage: Often used in the context of extreme sports or cycling to describe a wheel bending into a U-shape.

### 3. vulva

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Slang · Vulgar

a slang word for a woman's private parts.

For teachers: a slang term for the vulva, used primarily in American English.

- The movie contained several crude jokes using the word taco.
- The script was criticized for its reliance on vulgar metaphors, including the use of 'taco' as a anatomical reference.

Teaching tip: This usage is highly informal and can be considered offensive or objectifying; learners should avoid using it in most social contexts.

## Examples

- I want a beef taco for lunch.
- The street vendor serves every taco with fresh lime wedges and a spicy homemade salsa.
- While the hard-shell variety is popular in many fast-food chains, the authentic street taco typically features two soft corn tortillas to prevent the filling from breaking through.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.