tea ball
1
3.4
- noun
:
infusor
- I watch her pull the teapot and a P64 perforated metal tea ball down from the closet, busy, taking care of things, just like always.
Examples
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Also love the guy's suggestion of a tea ball!
Blog text (10) -
If you have it, you can add a tea ball full of hyssop and thyme leaves too.
Blog text (10) -
She turned, the muscles in her jaw taut, and took two mugs out of the cupboard, spooned chamomile and mint from their canisters into the tea ball.
Fiction book (1990) -
To brew a perfect cup of tea, first fill the tea ball with your favorite loose leaves.
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After steeping for five minutes, remove the tea ball and enjoy your flavorful tea.
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She placed the tea ball in a pot of boiling water to infuse the leaves.
Synonyms
11
1.0
A small paper bag with tea leaves for making one cup of tea
1
3.5
A small tool that holds tea leaves to steep in hot water
A small metal container with holes that holds tea leaves while brewing
How Convenient
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'tea ball' is directly interpretable as a ball-shaped object associated with tea: a B1 learner who knows 'tea' and 'ball' can infer it is a ball used for making or holding tea. This noun–noun compounding pattern is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so the basic function and referent are transparent even if the precise material or perforated design is unfamiliar.
Etymology
Tea ball likely comes from its simple look and use: a small metal ball with holes that holds tea leaves while they brew. So, tea ball means 'a small metal ball with holes used to hold loose tea leaves while they brew'.