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
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Examples from the Web for tea-leaf
Contemporary Examples of tea-leaf
Historical Examples of tea-leaf
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 wide, shallow cup is the best kind to use for tea-leaf divination—white if possible.
Telling Fortunes by Tea LeavesCicely Kent
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
The tea-leaf symbols are obstinately unfavourable, and display ominous signs of forthcoming sorrow.
Telling Fortunes by Tea LeavesCicely Kent