oolong

American  

[oo-lawng, -long] / ˈuˌlɔŋ, -ˌlɒŋ /

noun

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

---

oolong British  

/ ˈuːˌlɒŋ /

noun

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

---

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

While green tea has been studied extensively, much less is known about the health effects of other varieties, including black, oolong, and white tea, particularly when comparing their benefits.

From Science Daily • Jan. 28, 2026

Others have found that drinking oolong tea did not help their skin condition.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 16, 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

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

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 Dewey, John