sticky rice

noun

: a cultivated short-grain rice that is plump and sticky when cooked : glutinous rice
sticky rice contains the highest amount of amylopectin and no amylose. Sticky rice is used to make signature sweet dishes in Asia.Chicago Daily Herald
Sticky rice is the primary kind of rice consumed here [in northeast Thailand]. It's perfect to pack for lunch out on the farm, because it has high caloric density and can be eaten without utensils.Pailin Chongchitnant
sticky rice doesn't actually contain sugar (though it can easily be worked into a … dough to make mochi, and a vast range of sweets).Tejal Rao

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sticky rice was in 1842

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Cite this Entry

“Sticky rice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sticky%20rice. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Entry added
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