noun
dango; sweet dumpling
A traditional Japanese sweet made from rice flour, often served on a skewer. Common in phrases like 花より団子 (preferring substance over style).
お祭りでみたらし団子を買った。
I bought sweet soy-glazed dango at the festival.
noun
ball-shaped object; round thing
Used for anything round and dumpling-like, such as a ball of clay, a rolled-up piece of paper, or a round mass.
紙を丸めて団子にする。
I crumple the paper into a ball.
noun
Describes a group of people or things packed closely together, like a knot of people or a clump of objects.
駅前に人の団子ができていた。
A tight crowd of people had formed in front of the station.
noun
dango (Go); inefficient clump of stones
In the game of Go, a group of stones that are clustered together inefficiently, often a strategic mistake.
この形は団子で、効率が悪い。
This shape is a dango; it's inefficient.
The word 団子 (dango) is derived from 団 (dan, 'round') and 子 (ko, 'small thing'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it has been used since the Heian period to refer to round dumplings.