Tea

Tea, tē, n. the dried leaves of a shrub in China, Japan, Assam, and Ceylon: an infusion of the leaves in boiling water: any vegetable infusion.—ns. Tea′-bread, light spongy bread or buns to be eaten with tea; Tea′-cadd′y, a caddy or small box for holding tea; Tea′-cake, a light cake to be eaten with tea; Tea′-can′ister, an air-tight jar or box for holding tea; Tea′-chest, a chest or case in which tea is imported; Tea′-clip′per, a fast-sailing ship in the tea-trade; Tea′-cō′sy (see Cosy); Tea′-cup, a small cup used in drinking tea; Tea′-deal′er, one who buys and sells tea; Tea′-fight (slang), a tea-party; Tea′-gar′den, a public garden where tea and other refreshments are served; Tea′-gown, a loose gown for wearing at afternoon tea at home; Tea′-house, a Chinese or Japanese house for tea, &c.; Tea′-kett′le, a kettle in which to boil water for making tea; Tea′-lead, thin sheet-lead, used in lining tea-chests; Tea′-par′ty, a social gathering at which tea is served, also the persons present; Tea′-plant, the plant or shrub from which tea is obtained; Tea′-pot, a pot or vessel in which the beverage tea is made; Tea′-sau′cer, a saucer in which a tea-cup is set; Tea′-ser′vice, -set, the utensils necessary for a tea-table; Tea′-spoon, a small spoon used with the tea-cup, smaller still than the dessert-spoon; Tea′-stick, a stick cut from the Australian tea-tree; Tea′-tā′ble, a table at which tea is drunk; Tea′-tast′er, one who ascertains the quality of tea by tasting it.—n.pl. Tea′-things, the tea-pot, cups, &c.—ns. Tea′-tree, the common tea-plant or shrub; a name of various Australian myrtaceous and other plants; Tea′-urn, a vessel for boiling water or keeping it hot, used on the tea-table.—Black tea, that which in the process of manufacture is fermented between rolling and firing (heating with charcoal in a sieve), while Green tea is that which is fired immediately after rolling. Among black teas are bohea, congou, souchong, and pekoe; among green, hyson, imperial, and gunpowder. The finest black is Pekoe; the finest green, Gunpowder. [From South Chinese te (pron. tā), the common form being ch'a or ts'a.]