tea time

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The time of day when people stop to drink tea and often eat a small snack.

   Grammar: Used without 'a' or 'the' when it means a general time of day: It's tea time.

   Patterns

   • it's tea time
   • at tea time
   • have tea time

   The children come home at four, just in time for tea time.

   In our office, tea time is at half past three, and everyone gathers in the kitchen.

   She set the table for tea time with small sandwiches and cakes.

2. 2nouncountableBritish

   A light afternoon or early evening meal in Britain, typically with tea, bread, and cakes.

   Grammar: Can take 'a' when it means one particular meal: We had a lovely tea time.

   Patterns

   • have tea time
   • a tea time
   • tea time with someone

   In many British homes, tea time is a simple meal rather than a full dinner.

   They invited us round for tea time on Sunday.

   He grew up calling the early evening meal tea time.

Word forms

Common combinations

afternoon tea time

Afternoon tea time is a quiet moment in the day for many families.

tea time break

The workers took a short tea time break at four o'clock.

have tea time

We usually have tea time together on the porch.

at tea time

At tea time, the kitchen smells of fresh bread.

Synonyms and how they differ

teatime

The same thing written as one word, more common in British writing.

afternoon tea

A more formal British meal with tea and cakes, often in a hotel or cafe.

break

A general pause from work; it does not necessarily involve tea or food.

Word family

tea noun

The drink made by pouring hot water over tea leaves.

teatime noun

The one-word spelling of tea time.

Commonly confused: tea time or dinner?

Practice

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