: a dough used in Mexican cuisine (as for tortillas and tamales) that is made from ground corn soaked in a lime and water solution
also
: masa harina
Examples of masa in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The tamales, made from nixtamalized corn masa (corn that is ground into flour in a specific way) and filled with rabbit meat braised in miso and pasilla pepper, are wrapped in dark-green Mexican pepper leaves (acuyo leaf).
—
Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
And then the chochoyotes, thumb-print-size masa dumplings, landed in front of me.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
The dish, a traditional cornerstone of Mexican cuisine that dates back over a thousand years, is a corn wrapping, called masa, filled with meats, vegetables and cheese, rolled then steamed or boiled in a corn husk.
—Kansas City Star, 19 Sep. 2025
Get the recipe > This rustic soup from Chiapas, Mexico, features the grassy flavor of fresh chipilín leaves in a rich corn broth, with tender masa dumplings stuffed with creamy queso fresco for a satisfying bite.
—Saveur Editors, Saveur, 4 Sep. 2025
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Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 21 Oct. 2025
And then the chochoyotes, thumb-print-size masa dumplings, landed in front of me.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
The dish, a traditional cornerstone of Mexican cuisine that dates back over a thousand years, is a corn wrapping, called masa, filled with meats, vegetables and cheese, rolled then steamed or boiled in a corn husk.
—Kansas City Star, 19 Sep. 2025
Get the recipe > This rustic soup from Chiapas, Mexico, features the grassy flavor of fresh chipilín leaves in a rich corn broth, with tender masa dumplings stuffed with creamy queso fresco for a satisfying bite.
—Saveur Editors, Saveur, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for masa
Cite this Entry
“Masa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/masa. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
masa
noun
ma·sa
ˈmä-sə 
: a dough used in Mexican cuisine (as for tortillas and tamales) that is made from ground corn soaked in a lime and water solution
also
: masa harina
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