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Afternoon tea: meaning, definitions and examples

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afternoon tea

[ ˌɑːftəˈnuːn tiː ]

Noun

^{Context #1 | Noun}

traditional British

A light meal typically eaten in the late afternoon, consisting of tea served with sandwiches, scones, cakes, etc.

Synonyms

cream tea, high tea.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
afternoon tea	Similar to 'afternoon tea', it refers to the same light meal or snack. It is common in British culture and usually involves a variety of small, sweet and savory treats served with tea. My grandmother loves having afternoon tea every Sunday. Afternoon tea is a popular activity for tourists visiting London.
cream tea	Refers specifically to a type of afternoon tea that includes scones, clotted cream, and jam, along with a pot of tea. It is popular in the South West of England, particularly in Devon and Cornwall. We stopped at a quaint café for a cream tea after our walk. Nothing beats a traditional Devonshire cream tea with fresh clotted cream.
high tea	Involves a more substantial meal traditionally eaten in the late afternoon or early evening, often including cold meats, eggs, cakes, and bread. It is more of a working-class meal compared to the upper-class afternoon tea. After a long day at work, we gathered for a hearty high tea. High tea includes more filling food than the delicate sandwiches of afternoon tea.

Word

Description / Examples

afternoon tea

Similar to 'afternoon tea', it refers to the same light meal or snack. It is common in British culture and usually involves a variety of small, sweet and savory treats served with tea.

My grandmother loves having afternoon tea every Sunday.
Afternoon tea is a popular activity for tourists visiting London.

cream tea

Refers specifically to a type of afternoon tea that includes scones, clotted cream, and jam, along with a pot of tea. It is popular in the South West of England, particularly in Devon and Cornwall.

We stopped at a quaint café for a cream tea after our walk.
Nothing beats a traditional Devonshire cream tea with fresh clotted cream.

high tea

Involves a more substantial meal traditionally eaten in the late afternoon or early evening, often including cold meats, eggs, cakes, and bread. It is more of a working-class meal compared to the upper-class afternoon tea.

After a long day at work, we gathered for a hearty high tea.
High tea includes more filling food than the delicate sandwiches of afternoon tea.

Examples of usage

Afternoon tea is a popular tradition in England.
We enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea at the hotel.

Translations

Translations of the word "afternoon tea" in other languages:

🇵🇹 chá da tarde

🇮🇳 दोपहर की चाय

🇩🇪 Nachmittagstee

🇮🇩 teh sore

🇺🇦 післяобідній чай

🇵🇱 herbata po południu

🇯🇵 午後の紅茶

🇫🇷 thé de l'après-midi

🇪🇸 té de la tarde

🇹🇷 öğleden sonra çayı

🇰🇷 오후 차

🇸🇦 شاي بعد الظهر

🇨🇿 odpolední čaj

🇸🇰 popoludňajší čaj

🇨🇳 下午茶

🇸🇮 popoldanski čaj

🇮🇸 eftirmiðdags te

🇰🇿 түстен кейінгі шай

🇬🇪 ნაშუადღევის ჩაი

🇦🇿 günorta çayı

🇲🇽 té de la tarde

Etymology

The tradition of afternoon tea dates back to the early 19th century in England. It was introduced by Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, who felt hungry in the late afternoon and started having a small meal with tea. This soon became a fashionable social event among the British upper class, and it has since become a beloved tradition enjoyed by people around the world.