dumpling

noun

dump·​ling ˈdəmp-liŋ 

plural dumplings

1

a

: a small mass of dough cooked by boiling or steaming

chicken soup with dumplings

b

: a casing of dough enclosing a typically savory filling (such as meat or seafood) and cooked usually by boiling, steaming, or pan-frying see gyoza, pot sticker, wonton

c

: a usually baked dessert of fruit wrapped in dough

apple dumplings

2

: something soft and rounded like a dumpling

especially : a plump person or animal often of short stature

"I wanted to do it [rowing] because it was something I had never heard of. I was a little dumpling as well. I wanted to lose weight."

—Spencer Turrin, quoted in The Daily Telegraph (England)

Examples of dumpling in a Sentence

We had vegetarian dumplings as an appetizer.

Recent Examples on the Web

So, how about some pork soup dumplings named Lil’ Dumplings in honor of team captain, Cal Raleigh. —Leslie Kelly, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

There’s no need to spend time boiling a whole chicken for Chicken and Dumplings; just focus on the dumplings and use shredded rotisserie chicken. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2025

Light-as-air ricotta dumplings replace the classic meatballs in a nourishing broth peppered with fennel and escarole. —Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appétit, 28 Feb. 2025

Korean dumplings are nothing like potstickers or Japanese gyoza seen in frozen bags at Trader Joe’s or Asian grocery chains. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of lump

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

dumpling

noun

dump·​ling ˈdəm-pliŋ 

1

: a portion of dough cooked by boiling or steaming

2

: a dessert of fruit baked in biscuit dough