dumpling

American  

[duhmp-ling] / ˈdʌmp lɪŋ /

noun

1. a rounded mass of steamed and seasoned dough, often served in soup or with stewed meat.

2. a dessert consisting of a wrapping of dough enclosing sliced apples or other fruit, boiled or baked.

3. a short or stout person.

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dumpling British  

/ ˈdʌmplɪŋ /

noun

1. a small ball of dough cooked and served with stew

2. a pudding consisting of a round pastry case filled with fruit

   apple dumpling

3. informal a short plump person

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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:

• gyoza vs. dumpling

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.

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