dim sum

American  

[dim-suhm] / ˈdɪmˈsʌm /

Or dimsum

noun

Chinese Cooking.

1. small dumplings, usually steamed or fried and filled with meat, seafood, vegetables, condiments, etc.

2. a traditional light meal or dish consisting of these dumplings or other small items of savory or sweet food.

   an assortment of dim sum, which included shrimp dumplings, spring rolls, and steamed pork ribs.

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dim sum British  

/ ˈdɪm ˈsʌm /

noun

1. a Chinese appetizer of steamed dumplings containing various fillings

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Etymology

Origin of dim sum

First recorded in 1965–70; from Chinese dialect (Guangdong) dím sàm, equivalent to Chinese diǎnxīn ( diǎn “dot, speck” + xīn “heart”)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dim sum

This incredible access to food—from carts of dim sum in Chinatown to the perfectly chewy Upper West Side bagels I was raised on—instilled in me a lifelong appreciation and appetite for food of all kinds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The menu skews Asian fusion, with sushi, dim sum, wagyu and — unsurprisingly — Peking duck as the centerpiece, served with pancakes, hoisin and scallions.

From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2026

“The dim sum bond market is growing like crazy,” said Alicia Garcia Herrero, an economist at the French bank Natixis and a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 18, 2026

“As a food server, there’s always going to be slowdowns and takeoffs,” he said over lunch at a dim sum restaurant in a Las Vegas strip mall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2025

We lived on Waverly Place, in a warm, clean, two-bedroom flat that sat above a small Chinese bakery specializing in steamed pastries and dim sum.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan