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Definition of bao
bao
/baʊ/
bao
Plural:baos
bao Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
7
Tier
2
Usage
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Wordle Guess
• noun
1
A traditional Chinese soft, fluffy steamed bun or bread-like dumpling, typically folded around a savory or sweet filling such as barbecued pork, minced vegetables, or lotus seed paste.
Example
"We stopped at the night market to buy a bamboo steamer basket filled with hot pork bao."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for baoWord Nuance & Usage
In English usage, the term is frequently tautological as people often order a 'bao bun', even though 'bao' directly translates to 'bun'.
• Rhymes for bao
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed directly from Mandarin Chinese 包 (bāo), meaning 'bag', 'wrapper', or 'bun', referring to the folded and steamed nature of the dough.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Bao. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/bao