Phrase guide

price of tea in China

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Something that is relevant or important, usually used to emphasize that another, compared thing is irrelevant, unimportant, or non sequitur, or that someone unaware of it is ignorant, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • What does the president's latest tweet have to do with the price of tea in China?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see price, tea, China.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Due to the Sino-Indian trade crisis, the price of tea in China has risen dramatically the past fiscal month.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The price of tea in China was an important topic in England during and around the 19th century. It was often mentioned in the British House of Commons.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Hebrew: מה עניין שמיטה אצל הר סיני (má inyán sh'mitá étzel hár sináy) — irrelevant to the topic at hand
  • Russian: в огоро́де бузина́, а в Ки́еве дя́дька (v ogoróde buziná, a v Kíjeve djádʹka) — irrelevant to the topic at hand