wonton

noun

won·​ton ˈwän-ˌtän 

plural wontons

: a small dumpling filled typically with meat, seafood, or vegetables and usually served boiled in soup or fried

Whenever you're making wontons, keep in mind that the filling should be well seasoned, but not to the point that the wontons are overly salted when tossed in the sauce or added to a bowl of soup.

—Bill Leung et al.

… press the two sides of the wonton together tightly to enclose the filling and avoid any air pockets …

—Hetty Lui McKinnon

compare gyoza, pot sticker

Examples of wonton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Diners can’t eat burger and fries, pizza and tacos all the time and Hawkers offers Chinese dumplings, BBQ pork bao and chili crisp wontons as tasty alternatives. —Gary Stern, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025

Plump wontons practically burst with prawns and bamboo shoots, all swimming in a fragrant chicken stock. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025

Soups are customizable with wontons, dumplings, or dace fish balls, and they can also be paired with noodles: Have your choice of duck egg noodle, flat rice noodle, vermicelli, or udon. —Rachel Chang, AFAR Media, 1 May 2025

Maxi’s Noodle 135-11 38th Avenue This cozy spot just around the corner from the Chinatown hubbub is best known for its wontons. —Rachel Chang, AFAR Media, 1 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Guangdong) wàhn-tān

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wonton

• ponton
• wanton
• intermontane