rice paper

noun

1

: a thin papery material made from the pith of a small Asian tree or shrub (Tetrapanax papyriferum) of the ginseng family

also : a thin paper made from various usually Asian plants (such as the paper mulberry)

2

: a paper-thin sheet of dough made from rice flour and tapioca that is usually used to wrap a filling (as of minced vegetables or ground meat)

Ground pork, carrots, onions and cellophane noodles are wrapped so that the green vegetables show through the translucent white rice paper.

—Donna Hilts

Examples of rice paper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Photo : Adam Rouse A large Japanese rice paper lamp hangs from the living room’s soaring celing. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 25 Nov. 2024

Here, rice paper moulded the body into armor with silhouettes inspired by lace-making patterns. —Gemma A. Williams, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024

Soak the rice paper in hot water, then roll in the tuna and seasoned vegetables. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 7 Oct. 2024

Jessica Alba, Mindy Kaling and Giada De Laurentiis have all shared fun cooking videos of themselves making Sharf’s popular rice paper dumplings. —Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 24 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from its resemblance to paper made from rice straw

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

rice paper

noun

: a thin papery material made from the spongy inner part of the stem of an Asian shrub or small tree related to the ginseng