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Definition of dim sum
dim sum
Plural:dim sum
• noun
1
A traditional Chinese meal composed of a wide variety of small dishes, such as dumplings, steamed buns, and noodle rolls, typically accompanied by hot tea.
Example
"Every Sunday morning, my family meets at our favorite Cantonese restaurant to eat dim sum."
2
The individual bite-sized portions of food served during this style of Chinese dining, often presented in small bamboo steamer baskets or on small plates.
Example
"The servers navigated through the crowded dining room, pushing heated carts stacked high with various dim sum."
Word Nuance & Usage
While technically referring to the small snack dishes themselves, the term is frequently used in English to refer to the entire dining experience or meal event.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Dim sum. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/dim-sum