tea
- noun
- /tiː/
- We folded the map, and my mother brought the tea and pastries back up to the table.
- a cup of tea
- coffee or tea
- tea infusions
It's like really fresh Peach tea with wheat.
- It's like really fresh Peach tea with wheat.
- But then we get some piping hot tea, which is that Tamelin?
Examples
-
Would you like to join me for a cup of tea and some biscuits?
-
I had a nice cup of tea.
-
But I will now drink my tea and go to bed.
-
Now you had better go home, have a hot cup of tea, and go to bed.
Fiction book (1990) -
Give me a cup of tea.
-
We're just here for tea.
-
I brought you some tea.
-
I'll make you some tea.
-
The letter praised my poems and invited me to take tea in this gentleman's library.
Academic text (2015) -
"I can't drink American coffee," she said, "and tea won't do it for me."
Fiction book (1990)
Synonyms
A cold drink of tea served with ice and sometimes sugar or lemon
Tea from leaves steamed and dried with a light fresh taste
A cold drink of tea poured over ice, often with lemon or sugar
A hot spiced milk tea from South Asia often sweetened with sugar
A dark, strong tea made from leaves left to change color
Tea left in sunlight to steep and served cold with ice
A strong black tea blend often served with milk at breakfast
A light tea made from young leaves with little processing that has a pale color and gentle flavor
A weak tea that people make with milk and sugar for children
Idioms
- Informal
Refuse to do something even for a very large amount of money because it is too important to give up
- Informal
Something that is not related to what people are talking about
Compounds
- Literature
A political movement in the United States that wants smaller government and lower taxes
- UK
A drink people make by pouring hot water over dried camomile flowers to help them relax
A light meal in the afternoon with tea and small cakes, sandwiches, or scones
A protest in 1773 when American colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to protest taxes
- Formal
A formal event in Japan or China where people prepare and serve tea carefully according to tradition
A light tea made from young leaves with little processing that has a pale color and gentle flavor
A tea made from the leaves of a plant with yellow flowers that people use as medicine
- Archaic
A small evergreen shrub with white bell-shaped flowers whose leaves were used to make tea during the American Revolution
A bush with spiny branches that has purple flowers and bright orange-red berries
- NSFW
Leaves of a plant that people chew or brew as tea to feel more awake and a little happy
- US
An evergreen shrub with hairy leaves and small white flowers that people brew as tea
- US
A low shrub with white bell-shaped flowers and fragrant leaves used for herbal tea
A small bush that grows in the Rocky Mountains with sticky, scented leaves
A South American plant with dried leaves used to make mate, a hot caffeinated drink
- Specialized
A group of trees and bushes from Asia that includes the tea plant and camellias
How Strong
- Informal
Surface Forms
Etymology
Tea came into English from Chinese trade words, especially the coastal word te, which sounds like 'tea'. Traders brought the drink to Europe, so tea now means the hot or cold drink made by steeping leaves.