tea leaf
- the dried leaf of the tea shrub, used to make tea
- (usually plural) shredded parts of these leaves, esp after infusion
- British and Australian slang a thief
Show More
Word Origin
sense 3 rhyming slang
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
Examples from the Web for tea-leaf
Contemporary Examples
This contest is already being used as a proxy for the November general election, with tea-leaf reading being in ample supply.
The only problem with all the tea-leaf reading that next Tuesday will bring is that it will be meaningless.
Historical Examples
Her shawl looked particularly like a tea-leaf after long infusion.
Little DorritCharles Dickens
The leaves are large and do not bear the slightest resemblance to the tea-leaf.
Three Years in Western ChinaAlexander Hosie
A good deal of practice is necessary before the tea-leaf symbols can be accurately interpreted at a glance.
Telling Fortunes by Tea LeavesCicely Kent
A wide, shallow cup is the best kind to use for tea-leaf divination—white if possible.
Telling Fortunes by Tea LeavesCicely Kent
The tea-leaf symbols are obstinately unfavourable, and display ominous signs of forthcoming sorrow.
Telling Fortunes by Tea LeavesCicely Kent