dumpling
Americannoun
-
dumplings
plural
-
a rounded mass of steamed and seasoned dough, often served in soup or with stewed meat.
-
a dessert consisting of a wrapping of dough enclosing sliced apples or other fruit, boiled or baked.
-
a short or stout person.
noun
-
a small ball of dough cooked and served with stew
-
a pudding consisting of a round pastry case filled with fruit
apple dumpling
-
informal a short plump person
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dumpling
1590–1600; dump (of uncertain origin) + -ling 1
Compare meaning
How does dumpling compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A dumpling is a delicious, bite-sized food that's made of savory ingredients wrapped in dough and cooked. Chinese dumplings can be steamed, boiled, or fried. If you order dumplings in a Chinese restaurant, you'll get a filling made with vegetables, meat, or fish — it might be a wonton, cooked in a soup, or a potsticker, steamed and then lightly fried. Most cultures have some version of a savory dumpling, and many have sweet dumplings as well, like apple dumplings, which have a fruit filling wrapped in pastry.
Vocabulary lists containing dumpling
Out of the Dust
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Foods from Asia
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 10–November 16, 2024
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The city has what is regarded as Central Europe’s largest Chinatown, about a $15 cab ride from the center, where Dabao Jiaozi is the dumpling purveyor of first resort.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
"Turkish food, like kebab," says rapper Sude Oktay, before adding mantı, a traditional Turkish dumpling dish.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
On the stovetop, it stays brothy and spoonable, somewhere between a chowder and a dumpling soup.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
But that has largely been the result of viewers dumpling cable, not actual growth in the market, data show.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 30, 2026
My mother told Huang Taitai I had made this dumpling especially for her, even though I had only poked its steamy sides with my finger when the cook poured it onto the serving plate.
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
When I craved manti, small beef dumplings usually doused in sour cream, I was directed by a local to Bitez Mantici in the Bitez neighborhood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The dumplings are freshly made to order—for about $14 per very-generous portion—and served with a refreshing, cold garlic sauce.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
They often resemble dumplings, but children "can't see what's inside the box so they're excited to see which one they get".
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
It began with a bag of frozen dumplings, a can of coconut milk, a spoonful of white miso and 15 minutes to make lunch.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
I’ve got the broth boiling and the dumplings already cut.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
