ETYM Chin. tshâ, Prov. Chin. te: cf. French thé.
(Homonym: tee, ti).
1. A beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water.
2. A reception or party at which tea is served.
3. Dried leaves of the tea shrub; used to make tea; SYN. tea leaf.
4. (British) A light midafternoon meal of tea and sandwiches or cakes; SYN. afternoon tea, teatime.

City in South Dakota (USA); zip code 57064.

Evergreen shrub Camellia sinensis, family Theaceae, of which the fermented, dried leaves are infused to make a beverage of the same name. Known in China as early as 2737 bc, tea was first brought to Europe ad 1610 and rapidly became a popular drink. In 1823 it was found growing wild in N India, and plantations were later established in Assam and Sri Lanka; producers today include Africa, South America, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and Iran.
Growing naturally to 12 m/40 ft, the tea plant is restricted in cultivation to bushes 1.5 m/4 ft high. The young shoots and leaves are picked every five years. Once plucked, the young leaves are spread out on shelves in withering lofts and allowed to wither in a current of air for 4 to 18 hours. They are then broken up by rolling machines to release the essential oils, and left to ferment. Green teas (from China, Taiwan, and Japan) are steamed or heated and then rolled, dried, and finally graded. They are partly green in color. Black teas (from Ceylon and India) are macerated in rolling machines, allowed to ferment, and then dried and graded. They are a blackish brown color. Grading is carried out according to the size of leaf. For example, some Ceylon tea grades are orange pekoe, flowery pekoe, broken orange pekoe, broken pekoe, and fannings. The latter grades dominate the black teas sold in tea bags. Black teas make up 75% of the world’s trade in tea. Some teas are scented with plant oils.
Ample, is flavored with oil of bergamot. Methods of consumption in different countries vary: in Japan special teahouses and an elaborate tea ceremony have evolved and in Tibet hard slabs of compressed tea are used as money before being finally brewed.
In the us, tea with lemon and honey is a cold remedy, but iced tea has become a year-round soft drink, sold in cans like colas. After the American Revolution, the new us citizens turned away from tea (as being British) and imported coffee instead. Only after 200 years did tea revive its popularity in the us.