dim sum

[dim suhm]

noun Chinese Cookery.

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

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. 2018

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

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