oolong

American  

[oo-lawng, -long] / ˈuˌlɔŋ, -ˌlɒŋ /

noun

• oolongs
  plural

1. a brown or amber tea grown in China and Taiwan and partially fermented before being dried.

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oolong British  

/ ˈuːˌlɒŋ /

noun

1. a kind of dark tea, grown in China, that is partly fermented before being dried

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• oolongs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of oolong

First recorded in 1850–55, oolong is from the Chinese word wúlóng literally, black dragon, or < a cognate dial. form

Compare meaning

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

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oolong oolongs

"Particularly interesting results were obtained for kombuchas prepared from green and oolong teas, which demonstrated the highest biological potential."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

Today, the KMT’s descendants graciously welcome China’s fun-seeking tourists, sheltering them in cozy, Chinese-themed hotels and plying them with locally grown, fermented oolong tea.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 28, 2023

Also on his agenda is shopping for pineapple cakes and oolong tea to bring back to the U.S. for his mother and aunts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2022

There are over 300 different varieties of tea, ranging from fruit tea to oolong teas, white teas, matcha, green teas and more.

From Salon ● Nov. 26, 2022

This  tea is strong oolong and has milk in it, with two lumps of sugar for you to put in yourself.

From Letters from China and Japan by John Dewey

And from the best tea shop in Los Angeles, Tea Habitat in Alhambra, owner Imen Shan specializes in oolongs with otherworldly fragrances called dan cong.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2022

The L.A.-based company also offers a range of direct trade and single origin oolongs teas that are ideal for the budding tea lover looking to sip the good stuff in style.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2020