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
Soup dumplings have grown in popularity over the past dozen years with the viral rise of the Taiwanese soup dumpling chain Din Tai Fung.
—Jonathan Shikes, The Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2025
Hence, the Sichuan pepper is added to an iconic Italian dish such as cacio e pepe, and Chinese dumplings supplement the Italian ravioli stuffed with ragu de cinghiale.
—Gary Stern, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Make sure to get a good sear on the beef tips in the skillet, and don't skimp on the sour cream.
get the recipe
03 of 21
Old-Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings
Classic chicken 'n dumplings epitomizes quintessential Southern cuisine, combining all the good stuff in one singular bowl.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
The most important thing, Ng said, is that Bo Lings’ dumplings are always handmade.
—Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dumpling 
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Jonathan Shikes, The Denver Post, 16 Jan. 2025
Hence, the Sichuan pepper is added to an iconic Italian dish such as cacio e pepe, and Chinese dumplings supplement the Italian ravioli stuffed with ragu de cinghiale.
—Gary Stern, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Make sure to get a good sear on the beef tips in the skillet, and don't skimp on the sour cream.
get the recipe
03 of 21
Old-Fashioned Chicken And Dumplings
Classic chicken 'n dumplings epitomizes quintessential Southern cuisine, combining all the good stuff in one singular bowl.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
The most important thing, Ng said, is that Bo Lings’ dumplings are always handmade.
—Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025
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 31 Jan. 2025.
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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