bao

American  

[bou] / baʊ /

noun

1. an African board game usually played by moving pebbles along two rows of holes.

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Etymology

Origin of bao

From Swahili

Explanation

A bao is a soft steamed bun with a savory filling. If you order dim sum at a Chinese restaurant, you'll probably get to taste several kinds of bao. Bao, or "bun," comes from Cantonese, and it's a specialty of Cantonese cuisine. Bao is different from other dumplings because it's steamed, rather than boiled or fried, and made with yeast. The result is a pillowy case for fillings like barbecued pork or pickled vegetables. Some bao is pinched into a round ball, while others are open, encasing the filling like a taco. You can also call these delicious treats baozi, or "filled buns."

Example Sentences

Ash Bao, head of marketing at AI-native consulting firm Gruve, said she has more than 10 ideas cooking with her marketing team on how to make use of claws.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Bao holds long and short positions, betting on many stocks to rise and a smaller number to fall.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

"Our experiments show how critical and effective a rapid interferon response is in controlling rhinovirus infection, even without any cells of the immune system present," says first author Bao Wang of Yale School of Medicine.

From Science Daily • Jan. 22, 2026

There is nothing about Bao Dai and the State of Vietnam.

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2025

"My name is Su Bin Bao," he said in perfect English.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir