plural dumplings
1
a
: a small mass of dough cooked by boiling or steaming
chicken soup with dumplings
b
: a casing of dough enclosing a typically savory filling (such as meat or seafood) and cooked usually by boiling, steaming, or pan-frying see gyoza, pot sticker, wonton
c
: a usually baked dessert of fruit wrapped in dough
apple dumplings
2
: something soft and rounded like a dumpling
especially
: a plump person or animal often of short stature
"I wanted to do it [rowing] because it was something I had never heard of. I was a little dumpling as well. I wanted to lose weight." —
Spencer Turrin, quoted in The Daily Telegraph (England)
Spencer Turrin, quoted in The Daily Telegraph (England) Examples of dumpling in a Sentence
We had vegetarian dumplings as an appetizer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Executive Chef Alejandro Munoz and Top Chef winner Kristen Kish have crafted a four-course prix-fixe menu featuring dishes like sourdough, ricotta dumplings, honey roasted duck breast, and fluffy cheesecake.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
But last week, tens of thousands of Chinese university students followed a viral trend, riding bikes for more than five hours through the night to Kaifeng for the ancient capital's famous soup dumplings.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Xi Home Shoreditch Bringing the flavors of Dalian, Northern China, to Shoreditch, Xi Home is a veritable dumpling paradise.
—Lela London, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
These apple dumplings are made with refrigerated crescent roll dough, so this comforting dessert comes together in no time.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dumpling 
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Ana Gutierrez, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
But last week, tens of thousands of Chinese university students followed a viral trend, riding bikes for more than five hours through the night to Kaifeng for the ancient capital's famous soup dumplings.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Xi Home Shoreditch Bringing the flavors of Dalian, Northern China, to Shoreditch, Xi Home is a veritable dumpling paradise.
—Lela London, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
These apple dumplings are made with refrigerated crescent roll dough, so this comforting dessert comes together in no time.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dumpling
Dictionary Entries Near dumpling
Cite this Entry
“Dumpling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpling. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dumpling
noun
dump·ling
ˈdəm-pliŋ 
1
: a portion of dough cooked by boiling or steaming
2
: a dessert of fruit baked in biscuit dough
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