tea gown
- noun
- /tiː ɡaʊn/
- Archaic
:
vestido de té
- The elegant tea gown flowed gracefully as she served tea to her guests.
Examples
-
She wore a beautiful tea gown for the afternoon gathering with her friends.
-
I think the problem was mostly with the tea gown.
-
What do you mean, the problem's mostly with the tea gown?
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In the late 19th century, a tea gown was the perfect attire for informal tea parties at home.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A one-piece outfit for women or girls with a top and skirt
192
2.5
A long formal robe like those worn at graduations or in court
How Formal
12
2.7
11
3.3
- Archaic
- Archaic
- Archaic
2
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense is compositionally the gown associated with 'tea' — a dress worn for afternoon tea — so a learner who knows 'tea' (an afternoon social meal) and 'gown' (a long dress) can readily infer the general meaning. Historical and stylistic specifics (e.g. loose-fitting, late 19th/early 20th-century usage) are added information but do not prevent a B1 learner from deriving the basic concept.
Etymology
Tea gown The noun tea gown comes from the old habit of women changing into a soft gown for tea, a quiet afternoon at home with friends. So it means 'a long, loose dress worn at home for informal afternoon visits or tea'.