What does "dumpling" mean?
A ball of dough that is cooked and may have a filling and/or additional ingredients in the dough.; Specifically, a ball of dough used in stews and other sauced dishes; a thick noodle.
Dumpling
/ˈdʌmp.lɪŋ/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A ball of dough that is cooked and may have a filling and/or additional ingredients in the dough.; Specifically, a ball of dough used in stews and other sauced dishes; a thick noodle.
- Grammar: dumpling is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: blimp, dough-wrapped bite, dumplings, fedellini.
- Useful contrasts: flatness, nonfood item.
- Usage evidence: In the blink of an eye, the tennis-ball-sized dumpling had disappeared.
How to use "dumpling"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dumpling" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dumpling" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dumpling" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dumpling" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dumpling" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "blimp" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dumpling", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A ball of dough that is cooked and may have a filling and/or additional ingredients in the dough.; Specifically, a ball of dough used in stews and other sauced dishes; a thick noodle. UK
- 2 dessert made by baking fruit wrapped in pastry wordnet
- 3 A ball of dough that is cooked and may have a filling and/or additional ingredients in the dough.; Specifically, a food composed of a dough wrapper around a filling. US
- 4 small balls or strips of boiled or steamed dough wordnet
- 5 A term of endearment. endearing
"My little dumpling."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A piece of excrement. mildly, vulgar
"2018 Brent Butt as Brent Herbert Leroy, "Sasquatch Your Language", Corner Gas Animated Wherever legitimate tracks are found there's always some fresh scat, y'know, poo, flop, dumplings."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
flatnessnonfood item
Example
"In the blink of an eye, the tennis-ball-sized dumpling had disappeared."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dumpling"?
Common synonyms include: blimp, dough-wrapped bite, dumplings, fedellini, fettuccine, filled dumpling.
How do you use "dumpling" in a sentence?
In the blink of an eye, the tennis-ball-sized dumpling had disappeared.
How do you pronounce "dumpling"?
Pronounced /ˈdʌmp.lɪŋ/.
Etymology
A folk word, first attested in c. 1600s, apparently from a Norfolk (East Anglian) dialect, of uncertain origin: * perhaps from some Low German word (compare dümpeln (“bobbing up and down”)), * or from the rare dialectal adjective dump (“lump, of the consistency of dough”) (first attested in the late 1800s), + -ling (diminutive suffix), although dumpling is recorded much earlier. However, compare dumpy (“short and stout”).