oolong en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈuː.lʊŋ/
- /ˈoː.loŋ/
Etymology
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”).
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) A partially fermented tea, often roasted, which combines the characteristics of green tea and black tea.
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 187:Near-synonym: black dragon
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| oolongs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Relateds
pouchong · oolong tea · souchong