Paraguay tea

1 8.8

A South American plant with dried leaves used to make mate, a hot caffeinated drink

noun
/ˈpærəˌɡwaɪ ti/

: yerba mate

He offered me a cup of Paraguay tea after dinner, explaining its cultural significance.

Examples

I enjoy drinking Paraguay tea in the afternoon.
The indigenous people have used Paraguay tea for centuries for its stimulating effects.
Dried leaves of Paraguay tea are commonly exported to make the popular beverage mate.
Have you ever tried Paraguay tea?
Paraguay tea is traditionally enjoyed in Argentina and Brazil as a hot or cold beverage.
He brought a thermos filled with Paraguay tea to share with his friends during the picnic.
Many people drink Paraguay tea for its energizing effects and rich flavor.

Synonyms

mate

vsParaguay tea

4 8.1

A South American drink made from dried yerba mate leaves

is the living species that provides those dried leaves

yerba

vsParaguay tea

4 9.5

Dried leaves of a South American plant used to make the drink mate

is the named plant species rather than its dried product

Ilex paraguariensis

vsParaguay tea

Specialized

1 9.9

A South American plant whose leaves are dried to make the drink mate

is the common everyday name for the identical species

Surface Forms

Paraguay tea singular

Paraguay teas plural

Morphology

Paraguay + tea

The phrase combines a place name ('Paraguay') with a common noun ('tea') so a learner who knows both words can readily infer it refers to a type or origin of tea associated with Paraguay (i.e., a Paraguayan tea or a tea made from a Paraguayan plant). This compositional place + product pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The name Paraguay tea comes from people in Paraguay brewing the dried leaves of a holly tree as a strong drink. Early visitors called that drink tea, so today Paraguay tea means the caffeinated herbal drink made from those dried leaves.