TEA

[noun] - (a drink made by pouring hot water onto) dried and cut leaves and sometimes flowers, esp. the leaves of the tea plantChina/Indian tea [U]jasmine/herbal tea [U]iced/lemon tea [U]I'd love a cup of tea, please. [U]Tea and biscuits will be provided at 11 o'clock. [U]Two teas (= cups of tea), please. [C]How do you like your tea - strong or weak? [U]I'm not much of a tea drinker.We sat in the shade of a tree, sipping tea and eating scones. [U](UK informal) How about a nice cup of tea? That'll make you feel better. [U]"Shall I pour the tea?" "No, let it brew (= get stronger) a while." [U](UK regional and ANZ) Tea also refers to a meal which is eaten early in the evening and which is usually cooked.(esp. UK) Tea or afternoon tea is a small meal eaten in the late afternoon, usually including cake and a cup of tea.Afternoon tea is served in the dining room from 3 to 5 p.m. every day.(dated) I wouldn't take that job for all the tea in China (= nothing would persuade me to do it).(dated) It's time for action, not just tea and sympathy (= words and behaviour which are comforting but useless).A tea bag is a small paper bag filled with enough tea leaves to make tea for one person.(UK and ANZ) We have a morning and an afternoon tea break every day when we stop work for about ten minutes and have a drink.(esp. US) A tea ball is a small wire ball which is filled with tea leaves to make usually a pot of tea.A friend brought me a beautifully decorated tea caddy (= container to keep tea leaves in) from Japan.A tea chest is a large wooden box used first for storing tea and after that for other things, esp. when someone is moving from one house to another.The removal men will pack the china into tea chests.A tea cosy is a thick covering, like a hat, which is put on a teapot to keep the tea warm.A tea garden is either an outside restaurant where drinks and small meals are served, or a tea plantation (= large area of land where tea plants are grown).In China and Japan, tea-houses are small buildings in which tea is served.A tea party is an occasion when people meet in the afternoon to drink tea and eat a small amount of food.A tea room/shop is a small restaurant where drinks and small meals, such as tea and cakes, are served.A tea service/set is a set of small plates, cups, etc., with a matching pattern, for serving tea and small amounts of food such as cakes and sandwiches.A tea strainer is used to collect the tea leaves when the tea is poured through it into a cup.A tea towel/(UK also) tea cloth (US dish towel/kitchen towel) is a small cloth used for drying washed plates, knives, forks, etc.A tea tray is a small tray (= flat surface for carrying esp. food and drink).(UK and ANZ) A tea trolley/(esp. US) tea wagon/tea cart is a small table on wheels, sometimes with an upper and a lower shelf, for serving drinks and food.