Etymology

dim sum

Today it means: A Cantonese-style meal traditionally eaten in the morning or early afternoon, comprising tea and food typically placed in small steamer baskets or on small plates, and often served from carts that move around from table to table in a restaurant. Full definition →

Cantonese 點心
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The story

  1. Cantonese · borrowed from點心
  2. Cantonese · borrowed from點心
  3. English todaydim sum

Borrowed from Cantonese 點心／点心 (dim² sam¹), literally “to touch the heart gently; to skim the heart; to refresh the heart; to quicken the heart; heart-warming; to kindle the fire of the heart”.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.