tea

== Translingual == === Etymology === Abbreviation of English Temiar. === Symbol === tea (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Temiar. === See also === Wiktionary’s coverage of Temiar terms == English == === Etymology 1 === First appears c. 1655, in the writings of Álvaro Semedo. From Dutch thee, from Hokkien 茶 (tê) (Amoy dialect), from Old Chinese, ultimately from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-la (“leaf, tea”). Introduced to English and other Western European languages by the Dutch East India Company, who sourced their tea in Amoy; compare Malay teh along the same trade route. Doublet of chai and cha (and, distantly, the first element of lahpet), from same Proto-Sino-Tibetan root; see discussion of cognates. Etymology 1, noun sense 11 (“information, especially gossip”) may be originally from T standing for truth, which evolved into tea. An alternative explanation dates back to gay African-American culture in the 1970s and alludes to women gossiping over afternoon tea. ==== Alternative forms ==== tay ==== Pronunciation ==== (Received Pronunciation) enPR: tē, IPA(key): /tiː/, [tʰɪj ~ tʰiː] (General American) enPR: tē, IPA(key): /ti/, [tʰi] Homophones: T, te, tee, ti Rhymes: -iː ==== Noun ==== tea (countable and uncountable, plural teas) (uncountable) The tea plant (Camellia sinensis); (countable) a variety of this plant. (uncountable) The dried leaves or buds of the tea plant; (countable) a variety of such leaves. (uncountable) The drink made by infusing these dried leaves or buds in hot water. (Southern US) Specifically sweet tea, an iced tea supersaturated with sugar. Any drink which is similar to Camellia sinensis tea in some way: (uncountable) Any similar drink made by infusing parts of various other plants. Hyponym: herbal tea (uncountable, in combination) Meat stock served as a hot drink. (countable, Commonwealth, Northern US) A cup of any of these drinks, often with milk, sugar, lemon, or tapioca pearls. (East Asia, Southern US) A glass of these drinks. (uncountable, UK) A light midafternoon meal, typically but not necessarily including tea. (uncountable, Commonwealth, Ireland) Synonym of supper, the main evening meal, whether or not it includes tea. (cricket) The break in play between the second and third sessions. (slang, dated) Synonym of marijuana. 1947 March 11, William Burroughs, letter: Here in Texas possession of tea is a felony calling for 2 years. (slang, especially gay slang and African-American Vernacular) Information, especially gossip. ===== Usage notes ===== In most places tea is assumed to mean hot tea, while in the southern United States, it is assumed to mean iced tea. ===== Synonyms ===== (plant): tea plant, tea tree, tea bush (leaves): tea leaves (beverage): see Thesaurus:tea (beverages similar to tea): herb tea, herbal tea, infusion, tisane (a light meal): see afternoon tea & Thesaurus:meal ===== Hyponyms ===== (beverage): see Thesaurus:tea ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== tea (third-person singular simple present teas, present participle teaing, simple past and past participle teaed or tea'd or tead) (intransitive) To drink tea. (intransitive) To take afternoon tea (a light meal). (transitive) To give tea to. ==== Adjective ==== tea (comparative more tea, superlative most tea) (Can we verify(+) this sense?) (slang) Good-looking, sexy. === Etymology 2 === Semantic loan from Chinese 茶 (chá, “tea”). ==== 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. ===== 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 === === Anagrams === eta, æt., -ate, eat, AET, aet, a.e.t., ETA, aet., ate, Até, eta., Atë == Asturian == === Etymology 1 === From Latin taeda. ==== Noun ==== tea f (plural tees) torch === Etymology 2 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Verb ==== tea first/third-person singular present subjunctive of tar === Further reading === “tea”, in Diccionariu de la llingua asturiana [Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Asturian), 1ª edición, Academia de la Llingua Asturiana, 2000, →ISBN Xosé Lluis García Arias (2002–2004), “tea”, in Diccionario general de la lengua asturiana [General Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Spanish), Editorial Prensa Asturiana, →ISBN == Basque == === Noun === tea absolutive singular of te == Chinese == === Etymology === From English tea. === Pronunciation === === Noun === tea (Hong Kong Cantonese) afternoon tea (Classifier: 個／个 c) ==== Derived terms ==== == Ese == === Noun === tea feces; excrement == Estonian == === Verb === tea present indicative connegative of teadma second-person singular imperative of teadma == Galician == === Etymology 1 === From Old Galician-Portuguese tea (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin tēla. Cognate with Portuguese teia and Spanish tela. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈtea̝/ ==== Noun ==== tea f (plural teas) (uncountable) cloth (countable) a piece of cloth spiderweb Synonym: arañeira canvas Synonym: lenzo film (skin) Synonym: película ===== Derived terms ===== tear === Etymology 2 === From Old Galician-Portuguese tea (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin taeda, from Ancient Greek δάος (dáos, “torch”). ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈtea̝/ ==== Noun ==== tea f (plural teas) torch Synonyms: facha, fachuzo === References === Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “tea”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega “tea” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006-2016. Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “tea”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “tea”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “tea”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN == Hungarian == === Etymology === From Dutch thee, from Hokkien 茶 (tê, “tea”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈtɛɒ], [ˈtɛjɒ] Hyphenation: tea Rhymes: -ɒ, -jɒ === Noun === tea (countable and uncountable, plural teák) tea ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Pannonian Rusyn: тея (teja) === Further reading === tea in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN. === Anagrams === Eta == Māori == === Etymology === From Proto-Polynesian *tea. Compare Hawaiian kea and Rapa Nui tea tea. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtea/ [ˈtɛɐ] === Adjective === tea white Synonym: mā light-coloured clear, transparent ==== Derived terms ==== Aotearoa Ao-tea-roa == Old English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /tæ͜ɑ/ Rhymes: -æ͜ɑ === Numeral === tea (Northumbrian) alternative form of tīen == Rapa Nui == === Etymology === From Proto-Polynesian *tea. Compare Hawaiian kea and Māori tea. === Noun === tea dawn ==== Derived terms ==== tea tea == Sedang == === Noun === tea water body of water: river, lake, etc liquid wine === References === Kenneth D. Smith, Sedang Dictionary (2012), page 375 == Spanish == === Alternative forms === teda (rare) === Etymology === Inherited from Latin tēda, early monophthongized variant of Latin taeda (“torch”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtea/ [ˈt̪e.a] Rhymes: -ea Syllabification: te‧a === Noun === tea f (plural teas) torch (a stick with a flame on one end, used chiefly as a light source) Synonym: antorcha (colloquial) intoxication, drunkenness Synonyms: see Thesaurus:borrachera === Further reading === “tea”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025