Synonyms

tea ball

American

noun

a small ball of perforated metal or other material in which tea leaves are placed to be immersed in hot water to make tea.

tea ball British

noun

a perforated metal ball filled with tea leaves and put in boiling water to make tea

"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

Etymology

Origin of tea ball

First recorded in 1900–05

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:

tea ball

Strain the thyme out unless you use a tea ball.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 20, 2024

Pour the contents of the simmered pot, including the tea ball, into the mixture of cold water and soy sauce.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2021

Add tea ball to the pot, and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2021

"Somebody throw another tea ball in that poor guy's tea," bellowed Gleason.

From Time Magazine Archive

Gud sat down and the Clerical Collar poured him a cup of hot water, but neglected to pass him the tea ball.

From The Book of Gud by Hersey, Harold

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