tea wagon
1
5.4
- noun
- /ti ˈwæɡən/
- US
- The tea wagon was beautifully decorated for the event.
Examples
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The silver teapot stood on the tea wagon next to plates of sandwiches and cakes.
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We brought out the tea wagon when our guests arrived for afternoon tea.
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She wheeled the tea wagon into the living room, delighting everyone with the treats.
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She served scones from the tea wagon.
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The host used a charming tea wagon to serve refreshments during the afternoon gathering.
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We admired the antique tea wagon as it rolled through the room, carrying cups of steaming tea.
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Guests were delighted when the server brought out a colorful tea wagon filled with pastries and tea.
Synonyms
9
1.0
A small four-wheeled cart that children pull or ride in
7
1.0
A cart on wheels used for carrying shopping or luggage
1
2.7
A small cart on wheels for serving tea, coffee, or light food
1
3.7
A small cart on wheels used to serve tea and snacks
1
2.8
A small table with wheels for carrying and serving food and drinks
1
5.2
A small table on wheels for serving tea and light food
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a small cart for serving tea' is directly compositional from 'tea' (the drink) + 'wagon/waggon' (a cart), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer its purpose. This noun+noun compounding is cross-linguistically common (tea cart/trolley), and the only nuance—size or formality of the cart—does not prevent transparent understanding.
Etymology
The noun tea wagon comes from the simple image of a small cart on wheels used to bring tea and small snacks into a room, and the wagon part shows it was a wheeled cart. So, it means 'a small cart for serving tea or light refreshments'.