gunpowder tea

noun

A form of Chinese green tea in which each leaf has been rolled into a small round pellet.

Similar
gunpowder[Appendix:Glossarypearl teachacharRosieRosie LeeRosyRosy Lee
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Meanings

noungunpowder tea (countable and uncountable, plural gunpowder teas)

plural gunpowder teas

  1. countableuncountableA form of Chinese green tea in which each leaf has been rolled into a small round pellet.

    Synonyms: gunpowder[Appendix:Glossary, pearl tea, cha, char, Rosie, Rosie Lee, Rosy, Rosy Lee

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA form of Chinese green tea in which each leaf has been rolled into a small round pellet.

Similar
gunpowder[Appendix:Glossarypearl teachacharRosieRosie LeeRosyRosy Leetayteawet and warm
Also see
pearl tea

Origin

Perhaps from the similarity in appearance to the pelletized forms of gunpowder. The Chinese name is 珠茶 (zhūchá, literally “pearl tea”). The derivation from Chinese 剛泡的 /刚泡的 (gāng pào de, “freshly brewed”) is likely a folk etymology.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: gunpowder tea on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.