spring roll

American  

[spring rohl] / ˈsprɪŋ ˌroʊl /

noun

1. (in Asian cuisine) a cylindrical casing of rice paper, or sometimes wheat-and-egg dough, filled with a shredded mixture of vegetables and often meat or seafood, served fresh or deep-fried.

2. egg roll.

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spring roll British  

noun

1. a Chinese dish consisting of a savoury mixture of vegetables and meat rolled up in a thin pancake and fried

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Etymology

Origin of spring roll

First recorded in 1925–30; translation of Chinese chūn-juǎn; so named because vegetable snacks are associated with the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the beginning of spring in the Chinese lunar calendar

Compare meaning

How does spring-roll compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• spring roll vs. egg roll
• spring roll vs. summer roll

Example Sentences

At Wing, he serves sea cucumber inside a crispy spring roll, dramatically sliced tableside with a Chinese cleaver.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2025

Community member Yuko did extensive research to create this perfect dumpling hybrid: It's got a rice-and all-purpose-flour encasing, that's somewhere between a traditional shu mai wrapper and a fresh spring roll.

From Salon • Dec. 31, 2021

Others, like USA Rugby player Ilona Maher, shared her favorite dining hall foods, noshing on deep-fried camembert cheese, a spring roll and ramen, she posted on TikTok.

From Fox News • Jul. 28, 2021

Really, though, you can get any combination of shabu and spring roll you want, and it'll be a good representation of what the restaurant's all about.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2015

Then she reaches for a spring roll and asks, “There’s no meat in this, right?”

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass