tea leaf

noun

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

Word Origin for tea leaf

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 of tea-leaf

This contest is already being used as a proxy for the November general election, with tea-leaf reading being in ample supply.
Scott Walker Won Because He Took Action Against Soaring Pension Costs
Zachary Karabell
June 6, 2012
The only problem with all the tea-leaf reading that next Tuesday will bring is that it will be meaningless.
Why the Democrats Should Lose
Peter Beinart
October 30, 2009

Historical Examples of tea-leaf

Her shawl looked particularly like a tea-leaf after long infusion.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens
The leaves are large and do not bear the slightest resemblance to the tea-leaf.
Three Years in Western China
Alexander Hosie
A wide, shallow cup is the best kind to use for tea-leaf divination—white if possible.
Telling Fortunes by Tea Leaves
Cicely Kent
A good deal of practice is necessary before the tea-leaf symbols can be accurately interpreted at a glance.
Telling Fortunes by Tea Leaves
Cicely Kent
The tea-leaf symbols are obstinately unfavourable, and display ominous signs of forthcoming sorrow.
Telling Fortunes by Tea Leaves
Cicely Kent