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gyoza

American  
[gyoh-zuh, gyaw-zah] / ˈgjoʊ zə, ˈgjɔˈzɑ /

noun

  1. a Japanese dish consisting of dumplings typically filled with ground meat and vegetables and pan-fried, then steamed.


gyoza British  
/ ɡiːˈəʊzə /

noun

  1. a Japanese fried dumpling

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of gyoza

First recorded in 1965–70; from Japanese gyoza, from Chinese dialect (Shandong) giǎoze ( Mandarin jiǎozi ), equivalent to giǎo “stuffed dumpling” + ze “little child” (used as a diminutive suffix)

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Explanation

A gyoza is a Japanese dumpling made of meat or vegetable filling inside a very thinly rolled piece of dough. Whether boiled or fried, gyoza are delicious. The Japanese gyōza is derived from the Mandarin jiǎozi (and the two words are commonly written with the same Chinese characters). The gyoza was first developed during World War II, when Japanese soldiers returned from China with recipes for the traditional Chinese New Year dumpling, jiaozi. The Japanese version is similar but with a more garlicky filling inside a thinner wrapper. Gyoza is usually served with a soy dipping sauce.

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Vocabulary lists containing gyoza

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

They’re like 2.5 times bigger than a normal gyoza, like palm-sized, and I really like them.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 3, 2026

Side dishes such as gyoza and ramen offerings were mostly untouched, according to Uttz, adding that the 3.5% price lift is a blended figure of all the increases.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 9, 2026

Birria gyoza arrived swimming in bone marrow consommé, delivering a concentrated hit of richness.

From Salon Feb. 2, 2026

In January 2023, it opened a high-tech factory equipped with AI-powered cameras trained to detect any faulty gyoza on the production lines.

From BBC Apr. 19, 2024

Chef and owner Elmer Komagata will add a street food menu at the new location, including gyoza dumplings, fried calamari and takoyaki.

From Seattle Times Jan. 6, 2024

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