Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Tea
Tea
(tē)
, Noun.
[Chin.
tshā
, Prov. Chin. te
: cf. F. thé
.] 1.
The prepared leaves of a shrub, or small tree (
Thea Chinensis
or Camellia Chinensis
). The shrub is a native of China, but has been introduced to some extent into some other countries. ☞ Teas are classed as green or black, according to their color or appearance, the kinds being distinguished also by various other characteristic differences, as of taste, odor, and the like. The color, flavor, and quality are dependent upon the treatment which the leaves receive after being gathered. The leaves for green tea are heated, or roasted slightly, in shallow pans over a wood fire, almost immediately after being gathered, after which they are rolled with the hands upon a table, to free them from a portion of their moisture, and to twist them, and are then quickly dried. Those intended for black tea are spread out in the air for some time after being gathered, and then tossed about with the hands until they become soft and flaccid, when they are roasted for a few minutes, and rolled, and having then been exposed to the air for a few hours in a soft and moist state, are finally dried slowly over a charcoal fire. The operation of roasting and rolling is sometimes repeated several times, until the leaves have become of the proper color. The principal sorts of green tea are Twankay, the poorest kind; Hyson skin, the refuse of Hyson; Hyson, Imperial, and Gunpowder, fine varieties; and Young Hyson, a choice kind made from young leaves gathered early in the spring. Those of black tea are Bohea, the poorest kind; Congou; Oolong; Souchong, one of the finest varieties; and Pekoe, a fine-flavored kind, made chiefly from young spring buds. See
Bohea
, Congou
, Gunpowder tea
, under Gunpowder
, Hyson
, Oolong
, and Souchong
. K. Johnson.
Tomlinson.
☞ “No knowledge of . . . [tea] appears to have reached Europe till after the establishment of intercourse between Portugal and China in 1517. The Portuguese, however, did little towards the introduction of the herb into Europe, and it was not till the Dutch established themselves at Bantam early in 17th century, that these adventurers learned from the Chinese the habit of tea drinking, and brought it to Europe.”
Encyc. Brit.
2.
A decoction or infusion of tea leaves in boiling water;
as,
. tea
is a common beverage3.
Any infusion or decoction, especially when made of the dried leaves of plants;
as, sage
tea
; chamomile tea
; catnip tea
.4.
The evening meal, at which tea is usually served; supper.
Arabian tea
, – Assam tea
, tea grown in Assam, in India, originally brought there from China about the year 1850.
– Australian tea
, or
Botany Bay tea
(Bot.)
, a woody climbing plant (
– Smilax glycyphylla
). Brazilian tea
. (a)
The dried leaves of
Lantana pseodothea
, used in Brazil as a substitute for tea. (b)
The dried leaves of
– Stachytarpheta mutabilis
, used for adulterating tea, and also, in Austria
, for preparing a beverage. Labrador tea
. (Bot.)
See under
– Labrador
. New Jersey tea
(Bot.)
, an American shrub, the leaves of which were formerly used as a substitute for tea; redroot. See
– Redroot
. New Zealand tea
. (Bot.)
See under
– New Zealand
. Oswego tea
. (Bot.)
See
– Oswego tea
. Paraguay tea
, mate. See 1st
– Mate
. Tea board
, a board or tray for holding a tea set.
– Tea bug
(Zool.)
, an hemipterous insect which injures the tea plant by sucking the juice of the tender leaves.
– Tea caddy
, a small box for holding tea.
– Tea chest
, a small, square wooden case, usually lined with sheet lead or tin, in which tea is imported from China.
– Tea clam
(Zool.)
, a small quahaug.
[Local, U. S.]
– Tea garden
, a public garden where tea and other refreshments are served.
– Tea plant
(Bot.)
, any plant, the leaves of which are used in making a beverage by infusion; specifically,
– Thea Chinensis
, from which the tea of commerce is obtained. Tea rose
(Bot.)
, a delicate and graceful variety of the rose (
– Rosa Indica
, var. odorata
), introduced from China, and so named from its scent. Many varieties are now cultivated. Tea service
, the appurtenances or utensils required for a tea table, – when of silver, usually comprising only the teapot, milk pitcher, and sugar dish.
– Tea set
, a tea service.
– Tea table
, a table on which tea furniture is set, or at which tea is drunk.
– Tea taster
, one who tests or ascertains the quality of tea by tasting.
– Tea tree
(Bot.)
, the tea plant of China. See
– Tea plant
, above. Tea urn
, a vessel generally in the form of an urn or vase, for supplying hot water for steeping, or infusing, tea.
Tea
,Verb.
I.
To take or drink tea.
[Colloq.]
Webster 1828 Edition
Tea
TEA
, n.1.
The leaves of the tea-tree as dried and imported. There are several kinds of tea, as imperial tea, hyson and young hyson, called green teas; souchong and bohea, called black teas, &c.3.
Any infusion or decoction of vegetables; as sage tea; camomile tea, &c.Definition 2024
Tea
Tea
Estonian
Etymology
Short form of Dorotea (“Dorothea”). Cognate with Scandinavian and English Thea.
Proper noun
Tea
- A female given name.
Related terms
Faroese
Proper noun
Tea f
- A female given name
Usage notes
Matronymics
- son of Tea: Teuson
- daughter of Tea: Teudóttir
Declension
| Singular | |
| Indefinite | |
| Nominative | Tea |
| Accusative | Teu |
| Dative | Teu |
| Genitive | Teu |
Finnish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈteɑ]
- Hyphenation: Te‧a
Proper noun
Tea
- A female given name shortened from Dorotea ( =Dorothea).
Declension
| Inflection of Tea (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | Tea | Teat | |
| genitive | Tean | Teojen | |
| partitive | Teaa | Teoja | |
| illative | Teaan | Teoihin | |
| singular | plural | ||
| nominative | Tea | Teat | |
| accusative | nom. | Tea | Teat |
| gen. | Tean | ||
| genitive | Tean | Teojen Teainrare |
|
| partitive | Teaa | Teoja | |
| inessive | Teassa | Teoissa | |
| elative | Teasta | Teoista | |
| illative | Teaan | Teoihin | |
| adessive | Tealla | Teoilla | |
| ablative | Tealta | Teoilta | |
| allative | Tealle | Teoille | |
| essive | Teana | Teoina | |
| translative | Teaksi | Teoiksi | |
| instructive | — | Teoin | |
| abessive | Teatta | Teoitta | |
| comitative | — | Teoineen | |
Related terms
Anagrams
tea
tea
English
A cup of tea.
Pronunciation
Noun
tea (countable and uncountable, plural teas)
- (uncountable) The dried leaves or buds of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.
- Go to the supermarket and buy some tea.
- (uncountable) The drink made by infusing these dried leaves or buds in hot water.
- Would you like some tea?
- 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 2, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:
- Mother […] considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom, from which every Kensingtonian held aloof, except on the conventional tip-and-run excursions in pursuit of shopping, tea and theatres.
- (countable) A variety of the tea plant.
- Darjeeling is a tea from India.
- (uncountable) By extension, any drink made by infusing parts of various other plants.
- camomile tea; mint tea
- (countable, Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, northern US) A cup of any one of these drinks, often with a small amount of milk or cream added and sweetened with sugar or honey.
- (countable, Southern US) A glass of iced tea, typically served with ice cubes and sometimes with a slice or wedge of lemon.
- (uncountable, Britain) A light meal eaten mid-afternoon, typically with tea; afternoon tea.
- (uncountable, New Zealand, Britain, Ireland, Australia) The main evening meal, irrespective of whether tea is drunk with it.
- The family were sitting round the table, having their tea.
- (cricket) The break in play between the second and third sessions.
- Australia were 490 for 7 at tea on the second day.
- (slang, dated) Marijuana.
- 1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin 2010, page 103:
- So they were evidence. Evidence of what? That a man occasionally smoked a stick of tea, a man who looked as if any touch of the exotic would appeal to him. On the other hand lots of tough guys smoked marijuana […] .
- 1946, Mezz Mezzrow and Bernard Wolfe, Really the Blues, Payback Press 1999, page 74:
- Tea puts a musician in a real masterly sphere, and that's why so many jazzmen have used it.
- 1947, William Burroughs, letter, 11 Mar 1947:
- Here in Texas possession of tea is a felony calling for 2 years.
- 1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin 2010, page 103:
Usage notes
In many places tea is assumed to mean hot tea, while in the southern United States, it is assumed to mean iced tea.
Synonyms
- (the drink): cha, char
- (dried leaves of tea plant): tea leaves
- (drink made by infusing parts of various other plants): herb tea, herbal tea, infusion, tisane
Derived terms
Terms derived from tea
Translations
dried leaves of tea plant
|
|
drink made from leaves of tea plant
|
|
cup of this drink
|
|
drink made from other plants
cup of drink made from other plants
light afternoon meal
main evening meal — see dinner
Verb
tea (third-person singular simple present teas, present participle teaing, simple past and past participle teaed)
- To drink tea.
- To take afternoon tea (the light meal).
- 1877, The Bicycling Times and Tourist's Gazette (page 38)
- The wind was high and the hills ditto, and both being against us we were late in reaching Hitchin (30 from Cambridge), so giving up the idea of reaching Oxford we toiled on through Luton, on to Dunstable (47), where we teaed moderately […]
- 1877, The Bicycling Times and Tourist's Gazette (page 38)
Etymology 2
Noun
tea (plural teas)
- A moment, a historical unit of time from China, about the amount of time needed to quickly drink a traditional cup of tea. It is now found in Chinese-language historical fiction.
Usage notes
This term is found in English translations of Chinese-language historical fiction, where it is used to give the work an ancient Chinese feel.
References
- ↑ The World Atlas of Language Structures Online, “Chapter 138: Tea”, by Östen Dahl
Anagrams
Hungarian
Etymology
From Dutch thee, from Min Nan 茶 (tê, “tea”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈtɛɒ]
- Hyphenation: tea
Noun
tea (plural teák)
Declension
| Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | plural | |
| nominative | tea | teák |
| accusative | teát | teákat |
| dative | teának | teáknak |
| instrumental | teával | teákkal |
| causal-final | teáért | teákért |
| translative | teává | teákká |
| terminative | teáig | teákig |
| essive-formal | teaként | teákként |
| essive-modal | — | — |
| inessive | teában | teákban |
| superessive | teán | teákon |
| adessive | teánál | teáknál |
| illative | teába | teákba |
| sublative | teára | teákra |
| allative | teához | teákhoz |
| elative | teából | teákból |
| delative | teáról | teákról |
| ablative | teától | teáktól |
| Possessive forms of tea | ||
|---|---|---|
| possessor | single possession | multiple possessions |
| 1st person sing. | teám | teáim |
| 2nd person sing. | teád | teáid |
| 3rd person sing. | teája | teái |
| 1st person plural | teánk | teáink |
| 2nd person plural | teátok | teáitok |
| 3rd person plural | teájuk | teáik |
Derived terms
(Compound words):
(Expressions):