spring roll

American  

[spring rohl] / ˈsprɪŋ ˌroʊl /

noun

1. (in Asian cuisine) a cylindrical casing of rice paper, or sometimes wheat-and-egg dough, filled with a shredded mixture of vegetables and often meat or seafood, served fresh or deep-fried.

2. egg roll.

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spring roll British  

noun

1. a Chinese dish consisting of a savoury mixture of vegetables and meat rolled up in a thin pancake and fried

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Etymology

Origin of spring roll

First recorded in 1925–30; translation of Chinese chūn-juǎn; so named because vegetable snacks are associated with the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the beginning of spring in the Chinese lunar calendar

Compare meaning

How does spring-roll compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• spring roll vs. egg roll
• spring roll vs. summer roll

Example Sentences

At Wing, he serves sea cucumber inside a crispy spring roll, dramatically sliced tableside with a Chinese cleaver.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2025

For example, a team member shared with me that they made “harumaki” a Japanese-styled fried spring roll, served with a tamari & mustard dipping sauce at a Thanksgiving dinner with her husband’s family.

From Salon • Sep. 10, 2024

Others, like USA Rugby player Ilona Maher, shared her favorite dining hall foods, noshing on deep-fried camembert cheese, a spring roll and ramen, she posted on TikTok.

From Fox News • Jul. 28, 2021

And there are two new items exclusively for New York: a deep-fried vegetable spring roll, and a dessert of French toast filled with custard.

From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2016

Like not sweeping the floor on New Year’s Day so you would not sweep the god of wealth out of the house, or eating a spring roll so you would roll the money in.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang