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Synonyms

tea service

American  

noun

  1. a set of chinaware for preparing and drinking hot beverages, especially tea.

  2. a set of silver or other metalware for preparing and serving hot beverages, especially tea.


tea service British  

noun

  1. the china or pottery articles used in serving tea, including a teapot, cups, saucers, etc

"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 service

First recorded in 1855–60

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:

If your schedule allows, don’t miss the hotel’s afternoon tea service, which includes live piano accompaniment and fills up quickly.

From Salon Jun. 11, 2026

By the time it reached final inspection it had acquired a cloak of ruby-red metallic paint, diamond-white LED headlamps and a mouthful of metal grillework as bright as a tea service.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 6, 2026

Kim gave Putin a traditional Korean sword, while the Russian leader gave Kim a sabre and a tea service suitable for use on his armoured train.

From Reuters Sep. 11, 2023

English-style afternoon tea service was not offered until the 1980s, when it became the norm.

From Los Angeles Times May 17, 2023

I thought of the Underdowns’ home in Léopoldville with its Persian rugs and silver tea service and chocolate cookies, surrounded by miles of tin shanties and hunger.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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