potsticker

2 3.5

A small Chinese dumpling fried on one side and steamed on the other, often filled with meat or vegetables

noun
/ˈpɑtˌstɪkər/

: dumpling

I dipped the potstickers in soy sauce before taking a bite to enjoy the delicious flavors.
potstickers or dumplings

Examples

I make you potstickers, your favorite.

Fiction book (1996)
But they do have the best potstickers around.

Blog text (21)
"It's just the sort of thing Yoshitake might do," said Wang of the Taroken to the butcher-shop brothers, as they wolfed down potstickers and gulped their beer.

Fiction book (1996)
The potstickers were crispy on one side and soft on the other, making them the highlight of the dinner.
At the restaurant, I ordered chicken potstickers as a starter, and they were perfectly cooked.

Synonyms

dumpling

vspotsticker

41 1.8

A small piece of dough, plain or filled, cooked and eaten, often in soup

is the specific Chinese form cooked by pan-frying one side then steaming

wonton

vspotsticker

9 5.1

A small Chinese dumpling filled with meat, fish or vegetables, often served in soup

is cooked by pan-frying one side then steaming, not usually served in soup

momo

vspotsticker

1 4.2

A small cooked dumpling filled with meat and sometimes vegetables

is distinguished by the pan-fry then steam sequence rather than only steaming

ku ku jiao

vspotsticker

9.9

A small dough pocket with meat or vegetables inside usually steamed

focuses on the specific pan-fry then steam cooking method

manty

vspotsticker

8.9

A steamed dumpling filled with meat in Central Asian cooking

uses pan-frying on one side before steaming rather than only steaming

won ton

vspotsticker

4.1

A Chinese dumpling filled with meat or vegetables and served in clear soup

focuses on a pan-fry then steam preparation rather than a soup presentation

How Crispy

potsticker

2 3.5

dumpling

41 1.8

Surface Forms

potsticker singular

potstickers plural

Morphology

potsticker = pot + sticker (opaque) = pot + sticker

The compound literally combines 'pot' and 'sticker' (something that sticks), which is transparent at the component level, but the specific referent (a pan-fried dumpling) is a specialized culinary name.

Etymology

Potsticker is a picture word made of pot and sticker. It comes from a Chinese name that means 'pot stick' because the dumplings can 'stick' to the pan when they are fried, so the name helps you remember this pan-fried dumpling.