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
The savory dumplings can be boiled, sautéed, or topped with onions and sour cream for extra flavor.
—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
28 June 2026
Start your meal with one of the mango lassis (the perfect way to cool down in the summer) before feasting on dishes like the tandoori lamb or momo, traditional Tibetan dumplings.
—
Cu Fleshman,
Travel + Leisure,
28 June 2026
The freezer aisles held burritos, samosas, spring rolls, vegetables, desserts and dumplings.
—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
The steam table held 120-degree chicken and dumpling soup and 101-degree chili.
—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dumpling
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Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
28 June 2026
Start your meal with one of the mango lassis (the perfect way to cool down in the summer) before feasting on dishes like the tandoori lamb or momo, traditional Tibetan dumplings.
—
Cu Fleshman,
Travel + Leisure,
28 June 2026
The freezer aisles held burritos, samosas, spring rolls, vegetables, desserts and dumplings.
—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2026
The steam table held 120-degree chicken and dumpling soup and 101-degree chili.
—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dumpling
Cite this Entry
“Dumpling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpling. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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