bao

noun

ˈbau̇ 

variants or less commonly baozi

ˈbau̇-ˈ(d)zə 

plural bao or baos also baozi or baozis

: a soft bread bun that is stuffed with a sweet or savory filling (such as fruit or meat) and is cooked by steaming or sometimes baking

A bao is a Chinese steamed bread roll with a filling of meat and vegetables.

—Barbara Hatch

Bao are bread-like dumplings, often steamed and served with a range of fillings.

—Birmingham (England) Post

A baozi is a fluffy, steamed dough ball packed with fillings of a seemingly endless assortment. … Baozi are usually eaten during breakfast but you'll see people indulging throughout the day.

—Manuela Zoninsein

also : the bun cooked without a filling and used as bread

In fact, the sauce—chunky and wonderful—is nice … even without the noodles. Paired with veggies or proteins in a wrap or a bao, it's delicious.

—Amy Drew Thompson

Examples of bao in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Insider tip: grab a few of their oversized €1.50 pork or vegetable baos to go. —Angela Lian, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026

Here diners can order high-end cocktails and small bites like flatbreads, charcuterie boards, pork belly baos and bite-size lobster rolls. —Richard Guzman, Daily News, 15 Oct. 2025

Place the 8 bao in the basket and steam until soft. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2025

Its singular dim sum brunch is reason enough to visit on weekends (see: Chicago Italian beef baos). —Outside Online, 28 May 2025

The menu itself is quiet diverse, with countless dim sum options that include a selection of baos. —Chelsea Davis, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Chinese (Beijing) bāozi, from bāo (as verb) "wrap, surround," (as noun) "bundle, package, envelope" + -zi, noun suffix

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above