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definitions

dim sum

[dim suhm]

noun Chinese Cookery.

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

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Nearby words

  1. diluvial,
  2. diluvialism,
  3. diluvium,
  4. dim,
  5. dim bulb,
  6. dim-out,
  7. dim-witted,
  8. dim.,
  9. dimaggio,
  10. dimaggio, joe

Origin of dim sum

1965–70; < Chinese dial. (Guangdong) dím sàm, equivalent to Chinese diǎnxīn (diǎn dot, speck + xīn heart)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for dim sum

dim sum

noun

a Chinese appetizer of steamed dumplings containing various fillings

Word Origin for dim sum

Cantonese
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
Word Origin and History for dim sum

dim sum

n.

1948, from Cantonese dim sam (Chinese dianxin) "appetizer," said to mean literally "touch the heart."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper