# dumpling

Pronunciation: say "DUMP-ling" /ˈdʌmp.lɪŋ/

## Noun

1. A food made of a dough wrapper folded around a savory or sweet filling and then cooked. *(US)*
   - Simple: A small food made of dough wrapped around a tasty filling, then cooked.
   - _She pleated the edges of each dumpling before setting a whole tray over the steam._
   - _The restaurant serves pork dumplings with a soy-and-vinegar dipping sauce._
2. A ball of dough cooked in stews and other sauced dishes; also a thick noodle. *(UK)*
   - Simple: A soft ball of dough cooked in a stew or soup to make it more filling.
   - _The beef stew was topped with light, fluffy dumplings made from suet and flour._
   - _He spooned a dumpling onto his plate alongside the braised lamb._
3. An affectionate name used for a person one loves, such as a partner, child, or grandchild.
   - Simple: A sweet, loving name you call someone you care about.
   - _He greeted his wife with a warm "Hello, dumpling" as she walked in the door._
   - _Their grandmother called every grandchild dumpling, regardless of age._
4. A piece of excrement; a formed lump of feces.
   - Simple: A solid lump of waste passed from the body.
   - _Someone had to clean up the dumpling the puppy left on the rug._
   - _He scooped the dumplings out of the yard before mowing the lawn._

## Origin

A folk word first attested around the 1600s, apparently from a Norfolk (East Anglian) dialect and of uncertain origin. It may come from a Low German word (compare dümpeln, "bobbing up and down"), or from the rare dialect adjective dump ("lump, of a dough-like consistency") plus the diminutive suffix -ling, though dumpling is recorded much earlier; compare also dumpy ("short and stout").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/dumpling (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).