Earl Grey

noun

A blend of black tea flavoured with oil from the rind of the bergamot orange.

“Two Earl Greys, please.”

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Meanings

nounEarl Grey (usually uncountable, plural Earl Greys)

plural Earl Greys

  1. uncountableusuallyA blend of black tea flavoured with oil from the rind of the bergamot orange.

    I'll hazard I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pyjamas before my first cup of Earl Grey than you can do in a year in the field.

    2012, Skyfall, (Please provide the book title or journal name)
  2. countableusuallyA serving of this kind of tea.

    Two Earl Greys, please.

Origin

Reputed to be named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey. A “Grey's Tea” is known from the 1850s, but the first known published references to an “Earl Grey” tea are advertisements by Charlton & Co. of Jermyn Street in London in the 1880s.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 伯爵茶
  • 伯爵茶 (bójuéchá)a type of tea
Finnish Earl Grey
  • Earl Greya type of tea
Japanese アールグレイ
  • アールグレイ (āru gurei)a type of tea
Russian Эрл Грей
  • Эрл Грей (Erl Grej)a type of tea
Swedish Earl Grey
  • Earl Greya type of tea
Cite this entry
APA

Earl Grey. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Earl%20Grey

MLA

“Earl Grey.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Earl%20Grey. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Earl Grey,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Earl%20Grey.

Source: Earl Grey on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.