Meanings
nouncowboy tea (uncountable)
- uncountableA leafless desert shrub of the US Southwest in the genus Ephedra, used to make an herbal tea.
Synonyms: Brigham tea, desert tea, ephedra, jointfir, Mexican tea, Mormon tea, popotillo, squaw tea
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA leafless desert shrub of the US Southwest in the genus Ephedra, used to make an herbal tea.
Origin
One of a number of common names based on types of people known to live in the desert, with tea referring to the herbal drink brewed from the plant.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
cowboy tea. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cowboy%20tea
MLA
“cowboy tea.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cowboy%20tea. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cowboy tea,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cowboy%20tea.
Source: cowboy tea on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.