tea

[ tee ]
See synonyms for tea on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the dried and prepared leaves of a shrub, Camellia sinensis, from which a somewhat bitter, aromatic beverage is prepared by infusion in hot water.

  2. the shrub itself, extensively cultivated in China, Japan, India, etc., and having fragrant white flowers.: Compare tea family.

  1. the beverage so prepared, served hot or iced.

  2. any kind of leaves, flowers, etc., so used, or any plant yielding them.

  3. any of various infusions prepared from the leaves, flowers, etc., of other plants, and used as beverages or medicines.

  4. British. any meal, whether a light snack or one consisting of several courses, eaten in the late afternoon or in the evening; any meal other than dinner, eaten after the middle of the afternoon.

  5. an afternoon reception at which tea is served.

  6. Slang. marijuana.

  7. Slang. interesting or confidential information; gossip; news: I hear you were talking to Sandy yesterday—what’s the tea?

Idioms about tea

  1. one's cup of tea, something suitable, appropriate, or attractive to one: Horror movies and westerns are just not my cup of tea.

  2. spill the tea, Slang. to reveal interesting or confidential information; share gossip: In this exclusive clip, the famous actor spills the tea on who gets offered the best roles first.

Origin of tea

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; 1940–45 for def. 9; from dialectal Chinese (Xiamen) t'e, akin to Chinese chá

Other words from tea

  • tea·less, adjective

Words that may be confused with tea

Words Nearby tea

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tea in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tea

tea

/ (tiː) /


noun
  1. an evergreen shrub or small tree, Camellia sinensis, of tropical and subtropical Asia, having toothed leathery leaves and white fragrant flowers: family Theaceae

    • the dried shredded leaves of this shrub, used to make a beverage by infusion in boiling water

    • such a beverage, served hot or iced

    • (as modifier): tea caddy; tea urn

    • any of various plants that are similar to Camellia sinensis or are used to make a tealike beverage

    • any such beverage

  1. mainly British

    • Also called: afternoon tea a light meal eaten in mid-afternoon, usually consisting of tea and cakes, biscuits, or sandwiches

    • (as modifier): a tea party

    • Also called: high tea afternoon tea that also includes a light cooked dish

  2. British, Australian and NZ the main evening meal

  3. US and Canadian old-fashioned, slang marijuana

  4. tea and sympathy informal a caring attitude, esp to someone in trouble

Origin of tea

1
C17: from Chinese (Amoy) t'e, from Ancient Chinese d`a

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with tea

tea

see cup of tea; not for all the tea in china; tempest in a teapot.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.