kung pao

adjective

ˈkəŋ-ˈpau̇ 

ˈküŋ-, 

ˈku̇ŋ-

: being stir-fried or sometimes deep-fried and served in a spicy hot sauce usually with peanuts

kung pao chicken

Examples of kung pao in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Coronado School District uses Robby in its central kitchen to make everything from kung pao chicken to Philly cheesesteaks for its students. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026

Owned by Jeff Hansson and Anthony Levas, the restaurant features a menu created by culinary director Scott Cannon that includes kung pao Brussels sprouts, grilled flatbread, chicken satay salad, salmon poke bowl, braised short rib and half-roasted chicken. —Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026

The nine-course includes a fois gras tartlet, char sui porchetta, kung pao chicken ballotine and a pretzel profiterole. —Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 23 Dec. 2025

Chef specialties include orange-peel chicken and a house kung pao. —Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 6 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Chinese (Beijing) gōng bǎo "palace guardian" in the name of such dishes (as gōng bǎo jī dīng "kung pao diced chicken")

Note: The dish allegedly received its name because it was frequently served to Dīng Bǎozhēn (1820-86), a Qing (Ching) dynasty offical who served as the governor of Sichuan province (1876-86); his unofficial title was gōng bǎo.

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kung pao

• allow
• avow
• basedow
• chiao
• endow
• eyebrow
• highbrow
• lanao
• meow
• powwow
• somehow
• anyhow