tea

American  

[tee] / ti /

noun

1. the dried and prepared leaves of a shrub, Camellia sinensis, from which a somewhat bitter, aromatic beverage is prepared by infusion in hot water.

2. the shrub itself, extensively cultivated in China, Japan, India, etc., and having fragrant white flowers.

3. the beverage so prepared, served hot or iced.

4. any kind of leaves, flowers, etc., so used, or any plant yielding them.

5. any of various infusions prepared from the leaves, flowers, etc., of other plants, and used as beverages or medicines.

6. beef bouillon.

7. British. any meal, whether a light snack or one consisting of several courses, eaten in the late afternoon or in the evening; any meal other than dinner, eaten after the middle of the afternoon.

8. an afternoon reception at which tea is served.

9. Slang. marijuana.

10. Slang. interesting or confidential information; gossip; news.

    I hear you were talking to Sandy yesterday—what’s the tea?

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idioms

1. spill the tea, to reveal interesting or confidential information; share gossip.

   In this exclusive clip, the famous actor spills the tea on who gets offered the best roles first.

2. one's cup of tea, something suitable, appropriate, or attractive to one.

   Horror movies and westerns are just not my cup of tea.

tea British  

/ tiː /

noun

1. an evergreen shrub or small tree, Camellia sinensis, of tropical and subtropical Asia, having toothed leathery leaves and white fragrant flowers: family Theaceae

2. 1. the dried shredded leaves of this shrub, used to make a beverage by infusion in boiling water

   2. such a beverage, served hot or iced

   3. ( as modifier )

      tea caddy

      tea urn

3. 1. any of various plants that are similar to Camellia sinensis or are used to make a tealike beverage

   2. any such beverage

4. 1. Also called: afternoon tea.  a light meal eaten in mid-afternoon, usually consisting of tea and cakes, biscuits, or sandwiches

   2. ( as modifier )

      a tea party

   3. Also called: high tea.  afternoon tea that also includes a light cooked dish

5. the main evening meal

6. old-fashioned marijuana

7. informal a caring attitude, esp to someone in trouble

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tea More Idioms  

1. see cup of tea; not for all the tea in china; tempest in a teapot.

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Usage

What does tea mean in slang? There are, of course, many types of tea: green tea, bubble (boba) tea, the redundantly named chai tea, the tea tree and its oil, the Boston Tea Party, the teacup poodle, the Long Island iced tea, to name just a few.But in slang, tea means "gossip," a juicy scoop, or other personal information. (It’s best served piping hot.)

Other Word Forms

• tealess adjective

Etymology

Origin of tea

First recorded in 1590–1600; 1940–45 tea for def. 9; from dialectal Chinese (Xiamen) t'e, akin to Chinese chá

Example Sentences

Asked if the crew helped her, she replied: "Yes. One of them didn't let him out of the bathroom. They took me to the front of the plane and made me a cup of tea."

From BBC

Your daughter made you a lukewarm cup of tea, and you are rewarding her with a piping hot mug of the finest Colombian coffee.

From MarketWatch

Around two years ago, Brahma heard that local women were making money selling the flowers, which can be made into tea, or a blue dye.

From BBC

The truck carrying the tea leaves had no roof, and police are investigating the accident, reports said.

From Barron's

Batting after skipper Ben Stokes won the toss at a sold-out Sydney Cricket Ground, they steered the tourists to 211-3 when they went off for bad light with tea called 10 minutes early.

From Barron's

Related Words

• gossip
• poop