tea leaf

British  

noun

1. the dried leaf of the tea shrub, used to make tea

2. (usually plural) shredded parts of these leaves, esp after infusion

3. slang a thief

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Etymology

Origin of tea leaf

sense 3 rhyming slang

Example Sentences

Executives were also trying to read the tea leaves and figure out why some leaders in Davos weren’t there.

From The Wall Street Journal

Reading the tea leaves in the options market shows investors are expecting a bit of volatility.

From MarketWatch

Reading the tea leaves in the options market shows investors are expecting a bit of volatility.

From MarketWatch

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

From Barron's

The recent government shutdown complicated the efforts of economists to decipher where the economy is heading, depriving them of some government-collected data they need to read the tea leaves.

From The Wall Street Journal