black tea

American  

noun

black teas plural

1. a tea that has been allowed to wither and ferment under controlled conditions before being subjected to a heating process that stops fermentation and turns the leaves black.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• black teas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of black tea

First recorded in 1780–90

Compare meaning

How does black-tea compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• black tea vs. green tea
• oolong vs. black tea

Example Sentences

Kombuchas made from black tea and pu-erh, meanwhile, displayed richer, earthier aromas with more pronounced fermentation characteristics.

From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026

They don’t have coffee, but they do have Jeju Island–grown “Regenerative Organic-Certified” black tea oxidized as matcha.

From Slate • May 8, 2026

A rollback of tariffs on coffee and other products like green and black tea should help the company.

From Barron's • Nov. 15, 2025

“You know, we love green tea and black tea so much. I feel very peaceful drinking white tea, although I feel awake too.”

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2025

The man handed me a mug of very black tea.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson