rice paper

noun

1
: a thin papery material made from the pith of a small Asian tree or shrub (Tetrapanax papyriferum) of the ginseng family
also : a thin paper made from various usually Asian plants (such as the paper mulberry)
2
: a paper-thin sheet of dough made from rice flour and tapioca that is usually used to wrap a filling (as of minced vegetables or ground meat)
Ground pork, carrots, onions and cellophane noodles are wrapped so that the green vegetables show through the translucent white rice paper.Donna Hilts

Examples of rice paper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Sliding walls with windows covered in rice paper and glass opened to reveal exquisite gardens, enjoyed only by visiting dignitaries who entered through their own special gate. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2023 Another solution is to use rice paper or wooden screens as room dividers. Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2023 The same goes for her rice paper egg rolls and chicken porridge videos. Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2023 Water Lantern Festival at National Harbor As soon as the sky over National Harbor dims, participants in the Water Lantern Festival will launch thousands of glowing lanterns made of wood, rice paper and reusable LED candles into the Potomac River. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 3 Aug. 2023 Not to knock them—rice paper and lettuce wrap sides are versatile, healthy, and delicious. Su-Jit Lin, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 June 2023 Diners can count on the friendly staff to make recommendations and warn against taking spring rolls home, out of concern the supple rice paper wrappers will go dry. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 24 July 2023 From the shape of the handsome leather lounger to the artful rice paper light sculpture and the geometric carpet, each element both complements and enriches the others. Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 26 June 2023 The beloved Lantern Festival (usually in November) consists of Yi Peng, where thousands of rice paper lanterns are released into the sky, and Loy Krathong, where candlelit baskets are set into water. Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rice paper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from its resemblance to paper made from rice straw

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rice paper was in 1810

Dictionary Entries Near rice paper

Cite this Entry

“Rice paper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rice%20paper. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

rice paper

noun
: a thin papery material made from the spongy inner part of the stem of an Asian shrub or small tree related to the ginseng

More from Merriam-Webster on rice paper

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!