kimbap

K5I1M3B3A1P3

noun

A Korean dish of steamed white rice and other ingredients rolled in sheets of dried laver seaweed and served in bite-size slices.

Scrabble 16

Meanings

nounkimbap (usually uncountable, plural kimbaps)

plural kimbaps · alternative gimbap · alternative kimbab

  1. uncountableusuallyA Korean dish of steamed white rice and other ingredients rolled in sheets of dried laver seaweed and served in bite-size slices.

    The babbling stream, people spreading out rush mats to sit on, snacking on kimbap.

    2015, Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith, The Vegetarian, Granta, published 2018, page 12
    1 more example

    First-time visitors to this takeout spot in Koreatown should try the buffet; regulars come for noodles and kimbap, or Korean-style sushi filled with pickled vegetables

    2009 June 3, Julia Moskin, “Ethnic and Affordable”, in New York Times

Origin

  1. Korean김밥
  2. Englishkimbap

Borrowed from Korean 김밥 (gimbap), from 김 (gim, “a type of seaweed”) + 밥 (bap, “rice”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 紫菜包飯 /紫菜包饭
  • 紫菜包飯 /紫菜包饭 (zǐcàibāofàn)a Korean dish
Japanese キムパプ
  • キムパプ (kimupapu)a Korean dish
Korean 김밥
  • 김밥 (gimbap)a Korean dish
Polish kimbap
  • kimbapa Korean dish
Russian кимба́п, суши
  • кимба́п (kimbáp)a Korean dish
  • суши (suši)a Korean dish
Cite this entry
APA

kimbap. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kimbap

MLA

“kimbap.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kimbap. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kimbap,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kimbap.

Source: kimbap on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.