"fortune cookie" means: A type of hollow snack, common in westernized Chinese cuisine: a crisp sugary wafer containing a message on a narrow strip of paper, general.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
fortune cookie
A type of hollow snack, common in westernized Chinese cuisine: a crisp sugary wafer containing a message on a narrow strip of paper, generally with a wise or vaguely prophetic message or random number
ˈfɔɹt͡ʃən ˈkʊkiDocumented since 1940s1940sSilenthistoricalCurrent141 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1942 · 1 year of recorded use20th centurySee decade cohort →
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
A type of hollow snack, common in westernized Chinese cuisine: a crisp sugary wafer containing a message on a narrow strip of paper, generally with a wise or vaguely prophetic message or random numbers usable in a lottery printed on the paper.
I read my future in a fortune cookie / Without any safety procedure in mind
Origin: First attested in 1942 (see quotations below). The slang sense is from the canine vulva resembling the cleft shape of the snack. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
"fortune cookie" means: A type of hollow snack, common in westernized Chinese cuisine: a crisp sugary wafer containing a message on a narrow strip of paper, general.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
"fortune cookie" means: A type of hollow snack, common in westernized Chinese cuisine: a crisp sugary wafer containing a message on a narrow strip of paper, general.... Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Cluster: normal
Heard in the wild
“giving this fortune cookie to gruff and having him open it”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
(furry, slang) The vulva of canine species.
I read my future in a fortune cookie / Without any safety procedure in mind
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#3·Apr 27, 2026
(computing) A quote-of-the-day feature (especially on *nix systems.).
“The Chinese restaurant code. It states that the fortune cookie is not to be taken lightly. Now what do you mean to be doing with this fortune cookie anyway, lad?”
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "fortune cookie" (F)
fortakefor the birdsfor the girlsfor the longest timefortnightFortravailfor two pinsforty-eightforty-elevenforty-fourforty-ninth parallelfortypenny
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