oolong

American

[oo-lawng, -long] / ˈuˌlɔŋ, -ˌlɒŋ /

noun

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

oolong British

/ ˈuːˌlɒŋ /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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Vocabulary lists containing oolong

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

oolong oolongs

Despite extensive studies on green tea, there is limited information on the effects of other tea types, such as black, oolong, and white tea, especially concerning their comparative health benefits.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 9, 2026

Q: I started drinking oolong tea the day after I read on your website that it could help eczema.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 16, 2023

They’re still used today to make green, oolong and black teas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2023

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

Then he telegraphed her to bathe her thumbs in hot oolong tea every Friday at noon and send him the leaves in a red envelope.

From Kid Scanlan by H. C. (Harry Charles) Witwer

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

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023