1. A piece of dough, sometimes filled, that is cooked in liquid such as water or soup.
2. Sweetened dough wrapped around fruit, such as an apple, baked and served as a dessert.
3. Informal. A short, chubby creature.

[Earlier dumplin, perhaps from dump, lump.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.