qi·pao (ch??pou?)n. pl. qi·paos See cheongsam.[Mandarin qípáo, loose gown worn by Manchu women during the Qing Dynasty, cheongsam : qí, banner, any of the eight administrative units into which the mostly Manchu ruling class of the Qing Dynasty was organized (from Middle Chinese g??i, from Old Chinese *g?i) + páo, long gown, robe (from Middle Chinese p?uaw, from Old Chinese *bû).]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.