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Glite Dictionary
slop basin

slop basin

9.8
A bowl for emptying leftover tea or coffee at the table
  • noun
  • /slɑp ˈbeɪsən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : recipiente para restos
  • After finishing her tea, she emptied the last few drops into the slop basin, keeping her table tidy.

Examples

  • Charlotte waited until the silence was oppressive, then she leaned across, poured the dregs of Amethyst's tea into the slop basin, and filled her cup again from the pot.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • During the afternoon tea, the waiter discreetly collected the dregs from the cups into a slop basin before serving fresh tea.

  • The slop basin was placed on the table to ensure that no tea remnants were left in the cups during the elegant tea ceremony.

Synonyms

basin
vsslop basin
12 1.0

A wide, round container with sloping sides for holding water or food

is the specific table dish used to collect teacup and coffee dregs
slop bowl
vsslop basin
  • Archaic
9.1

A bowl for holding leftover tea or coffee from cups

is the alternative term often used for the same tea service item
pand
vsslop basin
  • Archaic
9.9

A shallow open container like a bowl for holding or serving food

is mainly used at the table to collect teacup and coffee dregs

How Big

slop pail
  • Archaic
9.6
slop basin
  • Archaic
9.8
slop bowl
  • Archaic
9.1
saucer
22 1.0

Surface Forms

slop basin singular
slop basins plural

Morphology

slop + basin

The meaning is directly compositional: 'slop' (waste liquid) + 'basin' (a wide container) yields a container for slops. Even if the specific usage (table teacup dregs) is somewhat specialized or dated, a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the general function of the item.

Etymology

Slop basin comes from tea tables where a small basin held the slop, the leftover tea or coffee that guests poured out. So, slop basin means 'a bowl for emptying the leftover tea or coffee from cups'.