dumpling

IPA/ˈdʌmplɪŋ/
KK[dˈʌmplɪŋ]IPA/ˈdʌmplɪŋ/

dumpling — noun

  • dumplingsingular
  • dumplingsplural

1. A small dome of dough made from flour, water, and often fat, which is boiled dir

1.nounB1
Definition

A small dome of dough made from flour, water, and often fat, which is boiled directly in soup, broth, or stew and served as part of the dish.

Example

Mei-Lin added small dumplings to the chicken soup for a hearty winter meal.

collocation: dumplings + in chicken soup / stew

Yuki's grandmother taught her to roll the dough into small dumplings for the stew.

collocation: roll dough into dumplings

Common collocations
  • chicken and dumplings
  • beef stew with dumplings
  • drop dumplings
  • suet dumplings
Synonyms
  • dough ball

    a more general description of the shape and ingredient, not a standard dish name

  • suet dumpling

    a specific British version that uses animal fat in the dough

Usage Note

In British cooking, these dumplings are often made with suet (animal fat) and served with a Sunday roast or casserole. In the American South, “drop dumplings” are common in chicken soup and are lighter and fluffier.

Common Mistakes

I ordered dumplings at the Chinese restaurant' (when expecting plain dough balls).
I ordered jiaozi at the Chinese restaurant.
In Chinese restaurants, “dumplings” almost always refers to filled dumplings (sense 2), not plain boiled dough balls.

2. A wrapper of raw dough that encloses a savory filling such as meat, seafood, or

2.nounA2
Definition

A wrapper of raw dough that encloses a savory filling such as meat, seafood, or vegetables and is then steamed, boiled, or fried until both the dough and filling are fully cooked.

Example

Anika ordered a plate of steamed dumplings with pork and ginger at the night market.

collocation: steamed dumplings filled with [ingredient]

Diego carefully folded the dough around the shrimp filling before pan-frying the dumplings.

verb pattern: fold dough around filling + pan-fry

Common collocations
  • steamed dumplings
  • pan-fried dumplings
  • pork dumplings
  • shrimp dumplings
  • vegetable dumplings
  • dumpling wrapper
  • dumpling filling
  • dumpling sauce
Synonyms
  • jiaozi

    Chinese filled dumplings with a thicker wrapper, usually boiled or steamed

  • gyoza

    Japanese version, smaller and typically pan-fried with a crispy bottom

  • pot sticker

    pan-fried Chinese–American dumpling with a seared crust on one side

  • wonton

    thin-skinned filled dumpling most often served in soup

Usage Note

This is the most common meaning worldwide. Dumplings of this type appear in many cuisines: Chinese jiaozi, Japanese gyoza, Polish pierogi, Korean mandu, Italian ravioli, and many others. The cooking method varies by culture.

Common Mistakes

She made Italian dumplings with cheese and spinach.
She made ravioli with cheese and spinach.
Italian filled pasta has specific names such as ravioli, tortellini, or agnolotti and is not called “dumplings.”

3. A sweet dish made by wrapping pieces of fruit in a sweetened dough and baking th

3.nounB1
Definition

A sweet dish made by wrapping pieces of fruit in a sweetened dough and baking the bundle until the pastry turns golden brown and the fruit inside becomes soft.

Example

Elena baked apple dumplings for dessert and served them with vanilla ice cream.

collocation: apple dumplings + vanilla ice cream

Theo's grandmother made peach dumplings every summer when the fruit was ripe.

Common collocations
  • apple dumplings
  • cherry dumplings
  • peach dumplings
  • baked dumplings
Synonyms
  • apple dumpling

    the most common type of baked fruit dumpling, specifically made with apples

  • fruit turnover

    a similar baked pastry with fruit filling, but made with flaky puff pastry and only partially enclosed

Usage Note

Apple dumplings are a classic American dessert, especially popular in the autumn. Unlike pies or turnovers, the fruit is fully enclosed in the dough rather than placed on top of a crust. The dough is usually sweet and sometimes seasoned with cinnamon or nutmeg.

Common Mistakes

The bakery sells apple dumplings made with puff pastry.
The bakery sells apple dumplings made with sweet pastry dough.
Apple dumplings use a sweet, soft dough that fully wraps the fruit, not the flaky layers of puff pastry used in turnovers.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

While 'dumpling' is the general English term for any filled dough pocket, 'jiaozi' specifically refers to the Chinese version with a thicker wrapper, typically boiled or steamed and served with a soy-vinegar dip. 'Gyoza' is the Japanese adaptation, smaller and usually pan-fried with a crispy bottom, often served with a soy-based dipping sauce. 'Pot stickers' are a pan-fried Chinese–American variation with a thicker seared crust on one side. 'Wontons' have a thinner, more delicate wrapper and are most often served floating in broth rather than on a plate. For ordering, you would say 'Let's share an order of pot stickers as an appetizer' but 'I'll have the wonton soup, please.'

dumpling ↗jiaozigyoza ↗pot stickerwonton ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • plate of dumplings
  • order of dumplings
  • dumpling house
  • dumpling festival

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicEnglish

The origin of 'dumpling' is uncertain, but it likely comes from a dialectal English word 'dump' meaning a lump or soft mass, combined with the suffix '-ling' which indicates something small. The word first appears in English cookbooks from the early 1600s, where it described small lumps of dough boiled in stew or soup.