Meanings
oolong1
plural oolongs
- countableuncountableA partially fermented tea, often roasted, which combines the characteristics of green tea and black tea.
Near-synonym: black dragon
1 more example
Flavour and aroma of semi-fermented teas is dictated by the extent of fermentation and, for this reason, oolong has a considerably stronger flavour than pouchong, which undergoes a significantly shorter fermentation.
1994, A. Varnam, J. M. Sutherland, Beverages: Technology, Chemistry and Microbiology, page 187Synonyms: black dragon
Oolong2
- A locality in the Upper Lachlan council area, south eastern New South Wales, Australia.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA partially fermented tea, often roasted, which combines the characteristics of green tea and black tea.
Origin
- Hokkien烏龍 /乌龙
- Mandarin烏龍 /乌龙
- Englishoolong
1850s. From either Mandarin 烏龍 /乌龙 (wūlóng) due to hypercorrection, or directly from Hokkien 烏龍 /乌龙 (o͘-liông), from 烏 /乌 (o͘, “black”) + 龍 /龙 (liông, “dragon”). See also pouchong from Hokkien 包種茶 /包种茶 (pau-chióng-tê, literally “tea of the wrapped kind”).
More words from Mandarin, Hokkien
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
oolong. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oolong
“oolong.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oolong. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “oolong,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oolong.
Source: oolong on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.