tea
tee
Tea (noun) means the dried leaves of the tea plant, or the hot drink made by steeping them in water. Example: “She makes a fresh pot of tea every morning.”
noun
1
The dried leaves of the tea plant, or the hot drink made by steeping them in water.
"She makes a fresh pot of tea every morning."
"Would you like milk and sugar in your tea?"
"My grandmother keeps loose tea in a tin beside the kettle."
2
A light meal eaten in the afternoon, or (chiefly British) the main evening meal.
"We're having sandwiches for tea this afternoon."
"Dad gets home at six, so tea is usually on the table by seven."
"We went to a hotel for a lovely afternoon tea with scones."
3
Informal: gossip or juicy information.
"Spill the tea — what happened at the party?"
"Come on, tell me the tea about what happened at work today."
"She always has the latest tea on everyone in the office."
verb
1
To drink tea, or to take a light afternoon meal.
"They stopped teaing at the little cafe by the harbour."
"The old ladies were teaing on the veranda when the rain began."
"We spent a lazy Sunday teaing in the garden with friends."
How to use tea
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe world's most popular hot drink, made from the leaves of the tea plant — and, informally, gossip.
UK vs US
In much of Britain, "tea" can also mean the evening meal, not just the drink — a usage that puzzles many American English speakers.
Common pairings
a cup of tea
spill the tea
tea and biscuits
high tea
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Word forms
- Plural
- teas
- Third person singular
- teas
- Past tense
- teaed, tead, tea'd
- Comparative
- more tea
- Superlative
- most tea
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She makes a fresh pot of _____ every morning.
Etymology
Borrowed into English around the 1650s via Dutch "thee," itself from a southern Chinese (Hokkien) word for the tea plant. Countries that traded tea by sea from that region ended up with "tea"-like words, while those trading overland from northern China got "cha"-like words instead.
Class of 1650
tea joined the language around 1650.
See the full Class of 1650 →
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for tea
See all rhymes for tea →Frequently asked questions
What does “tea” mean?
The word “tea” means the dried leaves of the tea plant, or the hot drink made by steeping them in water. In plain terms, the world's most popular hot drink, made from the leaves of the tea plant — and, informally, gossip.
How do you pronounce “tea”?
“Tea” is pronounced tee (/ti/ in IPA).
How do you use “tea” in a sentence?
Here is “tea” used in a sentence: “She makes a fresh pot of tea every morning.”
What is another word for “tea”?
Words with a similar meaning to “tea” include tea plant, tea tree, tea bush, tea leaves, herb tea and herbal tea.
What part of speech is “tea”?
Depending on how it is used, “tea” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “tea” come from?
The word “tea” dates back to around 1650 and comes from Dutch.
Is “tea” a common word?
“Tea” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “tea” have?
“Tea” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the dried leaves of the tea plant, or the hot drink made by steeping them in water.
What are the different types of tea?
True teas all come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, and differ mainly in how the leaves are processed. The main types are black, green, oolong, and white, with fermented pu-erh another variety. Herbal 'teas' such as peppermint or chamomile are technically infusions, since they contain no actual tea leaves.
What is the difference between tea and herbal tea?
Real tea is made from the leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, and naturally contains caffeine. Herbal tea, properly called a tisane, is brewed from other plants — herbs, flowers, fruit, or spices — and usually has no caffeine. So herbal tea is tea only in the loose, everyday sense of the word.
Does tea contain caffeine?
Yes. Tea made from the tea plant naturally contains caffeine, though generally less per cup than coffee. Black and oolong teas tend to have more than green or white. Decaffeinated tea has most of it removed, and true herbal infusions are usually caffeine-free because they are not made from tea leaves at all.
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