gulab jamun

noun

A South Asian dessert made from milk solids that are deep-fried and soaked in syrup.

OriginHindustani ← Classical Persian گُلَاب →
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Meanings

noungulab jamun (countable and uncountable, plural gulab jamuns)

plural gulab jamuns

  1. countableuncountableA South Asian dessert made from milk solids that are deep-fried and soaked in syrup.

    From where I was sitting I could see the gulab jamun Aunt Ranjan had prepared early that same morning. The dark-golden balls of sponge were already soaked in sugar syrup and piled generously in a glass bowl at the end of the counter.

    2023, Chetna Maroo, Western Lane, Picador, page 3

Origin

  1. Classical Persianگُلَاب
  2. Hindustani
  3. Englishgulab jamun

Borrowed from Hindustani گلاب جامن / गुलाब जामुन (gulāb jāmun), from गुलाब (gulāb, “rosewater”), in turn from Classical Persian گُلَاب (gulāb), from گُل (gul, “rose”) + آب (āb, “water”), and जामुन (jāmun, “jambul”).

More words from Hindustani, Classical Persian

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic غُلَابْ جَامُن
  • غُلَابْ جَامُن (ḡulāb jāmun)South Asian dessert
Bengali গোলাপজাম
  • গোলাপজাম (gōlapojam)South Asian dessert
Chinese Mandarin 玫瑰奶球
  • 玫瑰奶球 (méigui nǎiqiú)South Asian dessert
Hindi गुलाब जामुन, गुलाबजामुन
  • गुलाब जामुन (gulāb jāmun)South Asian dessert
  • गुलाबजामुन (gulābjāmun)South Asian dessert
Japanese グラブジャムン
  • グラブジャムン (gurabu jamun)South Asian dessert
Korean 굴랍자문
  • 굴랍자문 (gullapjamun)South Asian dessert
Punjabi ਗੁਲਾਬ ਜਾਮਨ
  • ਗੁਲਾਬ ਜਾਮਨ (gulāb jāman)South Asian dessert
Russian гула́б джа́мун
  • гула́б джа́мун (guláb džámun)South Asian dessert
Tamil குலாப்ஜாமுன், குலோப்ஜாமுன்
  • குலாப்ஜாமுன் (kulāpjāmuṉ)South Asian dessert
  • குலோப்ஜாமுன் (kulōpjāmuṉ)South Asian dessert
  • குலாப்ஜாம் (kulāpjām)South Asian dessert
  • குலோப்ஜாம் (kulōpjām)South Asian dessert
Urdu گلاب جامن
  • گلاب جامن (gulāb jāmun)South Asian dessert
Cite this entry
APA

gulab jamun. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gulab%20jamun

MLA

“gulab jamun.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gulab%20jamun. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gulab jamun,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gulab%20jamun.

Source: gulab jamun on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.